The National Assembly on Wednesday passed the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill amid an opposition walkout, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated lawmakers on approving the legislation.
The bill passed with 234 votes in favor and four against, while the boycotting opposition parties did not participate in the voting process. The dissenting four voters were of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl), which opposed the bill but did not boycott proceedings.
The legislation introduces sweeping reforms to the judiciary and the military command. The Lower House introduced four changes and removed the same number, requiring the altered changes to be placed before the Senate once more prior to the bill being sent to the president for final approval. The term “Federal Constitutional Court” has been added to Clause 2 of Article 6 of the Constitution, while the word “Supreme Court” has been inserted in Article 10 of the Constitution.
The final version has also amended Article 176, stipulating that the incumbent chief justice will remain Chief Justice of Pakistan until the completion of his term. Clause 2 of Article 255 has been amended to address the appointment of the Chief Justice of Pakistan after the current term.
Clarifying the changes, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the senior-most among the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and Chief Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court would be designated as Chief Justice of Pakistan.
United front
Addressing the Lower House after the vote, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the House had demonstrated remarkable unity on this occasion. He reminded members that the Charter of Democracy clearly stated the intention to establish a constitutional court.
Thanking CJP Afridi, he said he had requested the chief justice to ensure revenue-related cases were resolved swiftly. “By the grace of Allah, revenue cases have now been decided on merit,” he said.
He noted the CJP would continue to head the Supreme Judicial Council, the Judicial Commission, and the Law and Justice Commission. Referring to the conferral of the Field Marshal title on Army chief Gen. Asim Munir, he said the entire nation had welcomed the decision.
He stressed that any measure that weakens the federation, no matter how seemingly beneficial, cannot serve Pakistan’s interests. He said extensive consultations had taken place on the 27th Amendment, which had now become part of the Constitution.
Earlier, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that the bill barred the judiciary from taking any suo motu action. He recalled that both the PPP and PMLN had faced the “consequences” of suo motu powers, especially during the tenure of former CJP Iftikhar Chaudhry.
“We have witnessed prime ministers and ministers being humiliated under the pretext of suo motu. The judiciary even used this authority to regulate the prices of tomatoes and potatoes,” he said, recalling ex-CJP Saqib Nisar had used this power to initiate a dam project.
The PPP chairman said the 26th Constitutional Amendment was passed with maximum consensus, a process he said reflected the spirit of democratic cooperation. He said the previous constitutional change created constitutional benches instead of a constitutional court, as the then-chief justice could not assume the court’s leadership. “This time, through the 27th Amendment, we are establishing a proper constitutional court,” he said, maintaining this would further strengthen the judicial system.
Bhutto-Zardari also condemned the recent wave of terrorist attacks, urging political parties and citizens to stand united against the threat of extremism. “We may have political or ideological differences, but the entire nation must unite against terrorism,” he said, warning that militants are once again attempting to destabilize the country.
On amendments to Article 243, he said the post of field marshal would be constitutionally protected. “Constitution-making derives its strength from consensus,” he said, recalling the 1973 Constitution was passed with unanimous agreement among all parties, while the 18th Amendment was enacted after the PMLN and PPP jointly defeated dictatorship and restored democracy.
Meanwhile, opposition leaders—particularly of the PTI—vowed to resist the bill’s implementation. They said that if they came into power, they would ensure its reversal.
To this, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar slammed them for their “selective memory” and “double standards.” Referring to speeches made by opposition members, Tarar said it appeared they “could not recall anything before 2022,” recalling the PTI had accepted “fascism” when in power but opposed parliamentary procedures now. “When Parliament—the highest institution—tries to pass a constitutional amendment through legal means and consultation, they have a problem with it,” he said. “This selective morality, selective justice, double standards—what exactly is their politics other than this?” he questioned.