Pakistan empowers parliament to pick country's top judge

FILE PHOTO: Police officers walk past the Supreme Court of Pakistan building, in Islamabad, Pakistan April 6, 2022. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro/File Photo

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan approved changes to the constitution on Monday, which included empowering parliament to pick the Supreme Court's chief justice, drawing criticism from opposition parties who said it was an attempt to subvert the judiciary.

Pakistan's top court has become a battleground between the government and jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, ruling on issues ranging from a controversial national election to a potential military court trial for Khan and his supporters.