By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary committees have approved a revised draft of a bill proposing sweeping changes to the Constitution on Sunday, setting the stage for a contentious vote in the Senate amid fierce opposition from critics who warned that the amendments could undermine judicial independence and democratic principles.
The joint standing committees on law and justice from both houses of Parliament endorsed the draft for the Constitution (Twenty-Seventh Amendment) Act, 2025, after incorporating some modifications, coalition partner Pakistan Peoples Party’s Senator Farooq H. Naek told reporters following a meeting convened to deliberate on the proposed changes.
Naek said that he and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar had been authorised to make changes to some clauses of the bill, without sharing any more details about the said clauses. Alongside him, Tarar said they would submit a report on the proposals finalised by the committees to the Senate tomorrow.
The 26-page bill was introduced in the Senate on Saturday, just hours after its approval by the federal cabinet, prompting noisy protests from opposition lawmakers over the pace and scope of the proposed changes. The initial draft sought to establish a Federal Constitutional Court, alter the appointment process for high court judges, raise the cap on provincial cabinets and modify the structure of military leadership. The measure was promptly referred to the Senate’s and National Assembly’s Committees on Law and Justice for further review. The panels met on Saturday and reconvened on Sunday, with Senator Naek, who chairs the Senate committee, and his National Assembly counterpart, Chaudhry Mahmood Bashir Virk, presiding over the joint session.
Lawmakers from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl and the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen continued their boycott of the proceedings on Sunday. Tarar and Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik participated in the meeting, along with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who attended briefly.
In Pakistan, constitutional amendments have historically been used to reshape the balance of power between the legislature, judiciary and provinces.
The proposed 27th amendment follows the 26th amendment passed in October 2024, which gave parliament a role in appointing the chief justice and created a new panel of senior judges to hear constitutional cases, measures critics said weakened judicial independence.
Pakistan’s constitution, adopted in 1973, has been amended more than two dozen times, often reflecting shifts in authority among civilian governments and the military. Provisions governing the NFC award are among the most politically sensitive because they underpin the country’s federal structure and provincial autonomy.
Earlier, as the meeting paused for a lunch break, Naek told the media that discussions on three points were yet to be completed, transfers of cases from one high court to another high court, transfer of judges from high court to another high court and Article 243 (command of the armed forces).The discussion on these matters would be resumed after lunch, he said, adding that some objections had been raised pertaining to the transfer of judges and cases. “Discussions are ongoing regarding this and it is hoped that a consensus will be reached.”
Before the meeting began, when Naek was asked about suggestions made by various ruling allies and whether two parties had come face to face on the immunity for the president and prime minister, the PPP senator affirmed that all parties had a right to voice their opinion. “Decisions will be taken based on whatever the majority’s opinion is.”
In a separate Senate session convened on Sunday — a rare weekend sitting with a single agenda to debate the bill — PTI Senator Ali Zafar outlined five points that he said constituted the fundamental spirit of the 1973 Constitution and warned that altering the balance of these five pillars could lead to major chaos.
The first, he said, was that Pakistan was a federation with autonomous provinces. Secondly, the elected parliament had authority but was bound to the Constitution. Zafar said the third point was the fundamental rights provided therein, with courts formed to protect and implement them. Fourth pillar of the Constitution, he added, was an independent judiciary to protect people’s rights and guarantee democracy, while the fifth one was civilian supremacy. “If you alter this balance of five pillars even slightly through any amendment, the entire Constitution will be shaken and can result in major chaos,” Zafar warned.
After presenting his arguments against the proposed legislation, Zafar urged the House to reject the bill and invited the treasury benches for further discussions. “We can sit and think. There are a lot of options how to reduce the pendency of cases. We are ready to talk with you to consider amendments that will benefit the people, but we will not tolerate that you harm the public,” the PTI leader said. “You cannot force a Constitution through bullets.”
He said the formation of a Federal Constitutional Court under the new amendment would end the judiciary’s independence, and the president having the authority to appoint the judges could result in selection of his choice. Similarly the increase in retirement age of FCC judges from 65 to 68 years was an incentive for judges to become pliant judges.
The PTI lawmaker highlighted the powers proposed for the FCC, including considering cases related to fundamental rights, and cautioned that the court not following previous judicial precedents would result in a collapse of the system. He termed the provisions related to the transfer of judges without their consent as a dangling sword of moving them from one high court to another. “This will bring the judiciary under the executive’s total control.” Later, the Senate session was adjourned until 11 a.m. on Monday.
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