27th Amendment’s complete draft ‘gets joint committee’s approval’

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ISLAMABAD: The full draft of the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment has received the approval of the Joint Committee comprising lawmakers from the Standing Committees of the Senate and the National Assembly.

The joint committee started its meeting earlier today under the chairmanship of Senator Farooq H Naik and MNA Chaudhry Mahmood Bashir Vark.

However, opposition parties, including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamiat Ulema-Fazal (Joi-F), Pakhtunkhwa Milli Omi Party (PKMAP), and Ajlis Wahadatul Hamliman (MWM) boycotted their members.

In a fresh development, the committee approved clause by clause 49 proposed amendments.

Sources confirmed that the draft of the 27th constitutional amendment, which has already been approved by the cabinet, will be tabled in the House tomorrow (Monday).

Sources said that the opportunities suggested by the coalition parties will be reconsidered in a meeting tomorrow.

It is learned that the Awami National Party (ANP) raised objections to the 27th constitutional amendment and refused to attend the Prime Minister’s dinner.

However, the federal government contacted the ANP leadership and assured it to address its concerns, besides requesting the party’s legislators to attend a dinner hosted by the prime minister.

Sources said that ANP senators Arbab Umar Farooq and Haji Hidayatullah will participate in the event.

Ahead of this development, Article 243 was approved after detailed consultation by the Joint Parliamentary Committee, sources said, marking an important step forward for constitutional harmonization.

Currently, Article 243 of the Constitution vests the President of Pakistan with the supreme command of the armed forces, while stipulating that their control and command shall remain with the federal government.

The federal government in the Senate, a day earlier, introduced a 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill – which proposed major changes to the country’s judicial system as well as the military command structure – in the Senate.

“The committees have discussed the majority of the provisions of the draft, including Article 243, which was approved after extensive review,” sources familiar with the proceedings revealed.

The government has requested additional time to review proposals related to renaming Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and increasing provincial assembly seats in Balochistan.

“Both proposals will be given further consideration, and final decisions are expected tomorrow,” the source added. Consultation is a pre-requisite step, which needs to be taken before the draft of the 27th Amendment is finally tabled in Parliament for approval.

After the meeting ended, Senator Naik confirmed that the committee had approved the basic draft of the constitutional amendment, adding that the Law Minister had been empowered by members to make some adjustments.

Return of the Prime Minister Amendment

According to sources, the PML-N withdrew the proposed amendment seeking criminal immunity for the prime minister. The committee’s report is expected to be tabled in the Senate tomorrow, where the 27th constitutional amendment may also be approved, sources said.

Sources confirmed that Senator Anusha Rehman has formally withdrawn the amendment regarding Prime Minister’s immunity following instructions from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. According to insiders, PPP’s NAEK appreciated the decision to withdraw the amendment.

Members of the parliamentary committee lamented the opposition’s absence from the crucial session, stressing that the opposition should have participated in the proceedings.

He described the conduct of the opposition as “deeply deplorable”, and alleged that the opposition parties were deliberately distancing themselves from the entire process.

The committee members affirmed their determination to complete the work with sincerity, adding that the 27th Amendment has significant importance for strengthening democracy in the country.

Three additional amendments

Sources told Geo News that during the joint meeting, the coalition parties also tabled three additional amendments, while Awami National Party (ANP), Balochistan National Party (BNP), and Mutahida Qayyumi Movement Pakistan (MQMP) also presented their own proposals.

The sources added that the Joint Parliamentary Committee approved the provision for the establishment of constitutional courts. A separate amendment was passed extending the time limit for deciding pending cases from six months to one year.

It was further approved that if a case remains unsolved for one year, it will be considered for disposal.

The ANP proposed an amendment that sought to rename Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as “Pakhtunenhwa”, arguing that Khyber refers to a district and does not include a district name in another province as part of its title.

Meanwhile, sources said MQMP’s proposal on funding powers for local government representatives was also agreed upon, while consultations on increasing the number of seats in the Balochistan Assembly are underway.

‘majority opinion’

Speaking to reporters ahead of the meeting, Senator Naik said that all clauses would be discussed today and expressed hope that the amendment would be finalized during the meeting.

He said that every party has the right to give its opinion, and the committee will consider the views of all parties, including the suggestions of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and MQMP.

“A decision will be taken according to majority opinion, and all resolutions will be tabled in the House. We hope to finalize everything by 5 pm,” Naik added.

The federal government is considering passing the 27th constitutional amendment, proposing sweeping changes in the country’s judicial system as well as the military command structure.

The proposed amendment – initiated by the Muslim League (N) with the support of most of its allies – was tabled in the Senate and referred to the Standing Committee on Law and Justice for discussion.

The amendment proposes a change in Article 243, which seeks to abolish the post of “Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee” (CJCSC) and introduce a new title “Chief of Defense Forces”.

Other proposals include the establishment of a federal constitutional court and a review of the appointment process for high court judges.

The proposed amendment aims to reduce the powers of the Supreme Court, some authorities are transferred to the proposed Constitutional Court, and the President is granted immunity from criminal proceedings for life.

Salient Features of 27th Constitutional Amendment

• A new position, Chief of Defense Forces, will be created as the Chief of the Armed Forces effective 27 November 2025.
• Chief of Army Staff to act as Chief of Defense Forces
• Field Marshal, Marshal of the Air Force, Admiral of the Fleet titles for life
• The Prime Minister will appoint the Commander of the National Strategic Command from the Pakistan Army on the recommendation of the Chief of Defense Forces.
• A federal constitutional court will be established
• Proposed equal provincial representation in the Federal Constitutional Court
• President and Prime Minister playing key role in judicial appointments
• Parliament to decide the number of judges in the Federal Constitutional Court
• The powers of the Supreme Court were to be reduced, some authorities were transferred to the new court
• The term of the Chief Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court will be limited to three years
• Presidential immunity from criminal proceedings for life