The proposal included in the federal budget to increase the number of Supreme Court judges from 16 to 29 is a conspiracy to weaken the apex court, according to constitutional expert Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim. Ebrahim said, he found no reason to expand the Supreme Court to such a level and disapproved it outright and termed the Pakistan People's Party (PPP)'s constitutional package anti-judiciary. Ebrahim, who has been the PML-N's key constitutional and legal aide on the judges' issue, told the leading English language daily The News that there was no need to increase the strength of the Supreme Court judges. He said the increase would kick off new controversies. He said since it would not be possible for the Supreme Court to have all the 30 (29 justices plus the chief justice) judges in Islamabad, its benches may be set up in all the provincial capitals. He did not approve such an arrangement, arguing that it would weaken the Supreme Court. Citing the example of India, Ebrahim said the Indian Supreme Court has only 26 judges while the number of high courts in the country was 19. “What would we do with 29 judges.” Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif had said a few days back that the controversial proposal regarding increase of the strength of the judges at the apex court was not included in the finance bill. Following a meeting between Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, Asif announced that his party would support the finance bill in toto. __
