Presented by law minister, Bill passes after receiving 64 votes; tweaks aim to change military command, judicial structures
Mahnoor Ansar/DNA
ISLAMABAD: The Senate passed the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill on Monday, which aims to overhaul the military and judicial structures, amid the opposition’s walkout and protest — tearing their copies.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar presented the 59-clause Bill, which received the required 64 votes (two-thirds majority in the 96-member House). It will now be presented in the National Assembly for voting. No member voted against it — as the opposition opted to boycott.
Apart from the treasury members, the Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Saifullah Abro and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) Ahmed Khan were among the senators who voted in favour of the amendment.
Interestingly, Abro did not partake in the protest as well and later, during his speech, also announced his resignation as a senator.
Highlights of new amendment
- Chief of Army Staff to assume role as Chief of Defence Forces
- Field Marshal, Marshal of Air Force, Admiral of Fleet titles to remain for life
- Federal Constitutional Court to be established
- Equal provincial representation approved in Federal Constitutional Court
- FCC empowered to take suo motu notice upon petitions
- Islamabad High Court to have one judge on FCC bench
- President and prime minister to play a key role in judicial appointments
- Supreme Court powers to be reduced, with some authorities shifted to the new court
- Presidential immunity limited if president assumes any public office after tenure
- Judges must serve five years in high court for eligibility of Constitutional Court
- Judicial Commission to decide transfer of high court judges
- Objections on transfers to be reviewed by Supreme Judicial Council
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar congratulated the House on the passage of the historic bill in the Senate. He recalled that former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto had signed the Charter of Democracy, which was also endorsed by all political parties.
FM Dar noted that the establishment of a constitutional court had also been agreed upon in that charter.
Dar said Pakistan achieved a historic victory in the recent war with India. He highlighted that another major amendment pertained to Article 243. “The nation has declared Army Chief Asim Munir a hero following the war with India,” he said. Dar also clarified that the title of Field Marshal had not previously existed in the Constitution.
The foreign minister assured the House that the seniority of the incumbent chief justice, along with all other judges, would remain intact. He added that, as promised, the government had first presented the Bill in the Senate. Dar concluded that the constitutional amendments were aimed at improving the judicial system.
Earlier, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Farooq H Naek presented a report of the joint parliamentary committee on the 27th Amendment bill in the Senate, with some tweaks made to the draft approved by the federal cabinet.
During the Senate session, the senior legislator mentioned that the report also includes the Bill. He stated that the committee had made several amendments to the draft. “Some changes have been made in the text,” Naek said.
Last week, the federal government presented a bill of the 27th Constitutional Amendment to the Senate amid a strong protest by the opposition parties.
Following the presentation of the Bill in the House, it was forwarded to the joint committee on law — comprising members from the Senate and National Assembly — which further deliberated on the Bill; however, the opposition parties boycotted the session.
