The National Assembly approved the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill with more than a two-thirds majority, with 234 lawmakers voting in favour. The 59-clause bill had been cleared by the Senate earlier this week with 64 votes in favour
Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir. File pic
Pakistan’s Parliament has passed a major constitutional amendment granting lifelong legal immunity to army chief Asim Munir, expanding his powers, and curbing those of the Supreme Court — a move the opposition described as a “death blow to democracy”, news agency ANI reported.
The National Assembly approved the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill with more than a two-thirds majority on Wednesday, with 234 lawmakers voting in favour and only four against, according to Dawn. The 59-clause bill had been cleared by the Senate earlier this week with 64 votes in favour and none opposed, as opposition members boycotted the proceedings.
The bill will now return to the Senate for reconsideration of minor changes before being sent to President Asif Ali Zardari for assent, ANI reported.
Under the new amendment, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) will also hold the title of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), making the office the formal head of Pakistan’s army, navy, and air force. The legislation also preserves honorary military titles — including Field Marshal, Marshal of the Air Force, and Admiral of the Fleet — as lifetime ranks.
The change effectively elevates General Asim Munir to the most powerful position in Pakistan’s defence hierarchy, giving him broader constitutional authority and recognition than any of his predecessors, ANI reported.
The amendment also establishes a new Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) to handle constitutional matters, effectively reducing the powers of the Supreme Court, which has previously struck down government decisions and disqualified sitting prime ministers. Judges of the FCC will be appointed by the government, and the court will operate separately from the Supreme Court.
According to Dawn, while the current Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) will retain his title, future appointments will define the CJP as the senior-most judge among the chiefs of the Supreme Court and the FCC. The FCC will also be barred from ratifying acts of high treason — a clause critics say shields state institutions, including the military, from scrutiny.
Members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), founded by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, staged a walkout before the vote, tearing up copies of the bill.
PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan accused the government of “sinking the ship of democracy and judicial independence.”
“They introduced another amendment that we’re only seeing for the first time. In Article 260, there are definitions for everything... but they added a new subclause without due debate,” he said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif defended the bill’s passage, calling it a demonstration of “solidarity and national unity.”
(With inputs from ANI)
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