Consultations underway to amend Article 243: Khawaja Asif

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Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has said that talks are on to amend an article of the constitution, which deals with the control and command of the armed forces.

“Consultations are on to amend Article 243 […] Defense Minister told Geo News exclusively in Islamabad on Wednesday.

Article 243 of the Constitution states that “the Federal Government shall have control and command of the armed forces” and “the supreme command of the armed forces shall vest in the President”, among other things.

“The entire process will be done through mutual consultation,” said the defense minister, whose party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has attempted to amend the constitution for the second time during its ongoing tenure.

Asif noted that consultation with all political parties on the proposed amendment is ongoing.

However, he declined to comment further on the possible adaptation, saying he would “not say anything until the amendment to Article 243 is finalised”.

The minister expected clarification on the consensus within the next two or three days, with the 27th amendment likely to be tabled in Parliament next week.

His comments came after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reportedly directed National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq to build a consensus among political parties for the proposed amendment.

Efforts in the Muslim League (N) to amend the law came to light on November 3, when Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Balwal Bhutto-Zidardari confirmed that the ruling party had secured his support in introducing the amendment.

Balwal said that the proposed amendment, apart from amending Article 243, includes the establishment of a Constitutional Court and some changes in the National Finance Commission Award.

A day later, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said the government was working on other alliances, including the Mutahida Qaumi Tehreek-e-Pakistan, the Awami National Party, and the Balochistan Omi Party.

Meanwhile, the Defense Minister said that the proposed amendments include the establishment of a separate Constitutional Court with representation from each province.

Asif said constitutional cases, though only 6%, took time due to their complex nature. Judges who hear day-to-day matters also handle constitutional matters, he said, adding that improvements were being made through the composition of the bench.

However, the Constitution Benches were being criticized as a “court without a court”.

Asif noted that the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner would be handed over to a “third party” in case of deadlock.

The defense czar warned of constitutional complications due to the delay in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Senate elections.

However, he said negotiations are ongoing to allow senators to cover their terms and avoid constitutional complications.

ASIF added that the matter of transfer of judges will be entrusted to the Judicial Commission.

‘Delegation left for talks with Taliban government’

Speaking to reporters outside parliament, the defense minister said a delegation has left to resume talks with the Taliban government delegation.

“Talks will start tomorrow. Afghanistan should work wisely for peace in the region,” he said.

The second round of talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban government began on October 25 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Pakistan broke off the talks after refusing to accept the Taliban delegation’s “illogical” arguments and to address Islamabad’s concerns about cross-border terrorism.

However, mediators convinced Pakistan to give talks another chance, resulting in an agreement to maintain the ceasefire.

“Further implementation modalities will be discussed and decided at a high-level meeting in Istanbul on November 6, 2025,” read a joint statement about the talks.

With the next round of talks starting tomorrow (November 6), the defense minister said Pakistan held talks with the hope of further progress.

“If there’s no chance of progress, then it’s just a waste of time,” he said.