27th Constitutional Amendment tabled in Senate, referred to joint committee

The draft of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, approved earlier by the federal cabinet, was presented to the Senate on Saturday and referred to a joint parliamentary committee for review.

The session, chaired by Senate Chairman Yusuf Raza Gilani, focused on the bill. Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar presented the 27th Amendment Bill in the upper house, requesting suspension of the question hour. The motion, moved by the Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, was approved by the Senate.

The bill was referred to a joint committee comprising members of the Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice and the National Assembly’s counterpart.

Read: 27th Amendment — What we know so far

The joint committee will be co-chaired by the chairpersons of both committees, Senator Farooq H. Naek and MNA Mahmood Bashir Virk and will review the proposed legislation in detail.

During the session, Law Minister Tarar informed the house that all political parties would be invited to participate in the committee’s discussions. He emphasised that the bill would be thoroughly debated before moving forward.

The bill, presented by Tarar, proposes giving the Judicial Commission authority to transfer High Court judges and increasing the size of provincial cabinets. The house retains the power to approve or reject the bill.

The amendment also includes major changes in the military hierarchy. The position of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee will be abolished from November 27, with the Army Chief serving as the Chief of Defence Forces.

The ranks of Field Marshal, Marshal of the Air Force, and Fleet Marshal will be made lifelong, but Parliament will retain the power to revoke these honorary positions through a process similar to presidential impeachment. The prime minister will appoint the Chief of National Command in consultation with the Army Chief.

Opposition senators, including Senator Ali Zafar and Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, voiced concerns that the amendment had been introduced without broad consensus. They argued that the opposition had not been given sufficient time to review the draft.

Allama Raja Nasir Abbas criticised the process, saying lawmakers were given only two days to review the changes. He expressed concern over the concentration of power in the hands of the Army Chief, warning that the rushed legislation could make the Constitution controversial.

He urged consensus-building before introducing amendments and stressed that strict laws should exist to prevent powerful individuals from being unchecked.

Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Ishaq Dar stated that detailed deliberations would take place in the standing committee and noted that the appointment of the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate fell under the prerogative of the Senate Chairman.

Read more: Cabinet delays meeting on 27th Amendment draft

The session also addressed preparations for the upcoming Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference to be held in Islamabad, with Chairman Gilani briefing members on the event’s arrangements.

A joint meeting of the National Assembly and Senate Standing Committees on Law and Justice has been convened for 2pm today to continue deliberations on the 27th Constitutional Amendment.

Cabinet approves amendment

The federal cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif via video link from Baku, approved the draft of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, state-run PTV News reported.

The prime minister welcomed cabinet members and thanked allied parties for their support. The meeting was attended by federal ministers Khawaja Asif, Bilal Azhar Kayani, Rana Tanveer, Aurangzeb Khichi, Rana Mubashir, Aun Chaudhry, Dr Shezra Mansab, Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, and Malik Rasheed Ahmed, while Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan was present at the prime minister’s House.

Following the cabinet’s approval, Tarar briefed the media, stating that the bill would now be introduced in the Senate and subsequently referred to a joint parliamentary committee. He said the government had completed consultations with coalition partners, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).

Also read: Govt finalises initial 27th Amendment draft for cabinet review tomorrow

Tarar explained that under the proposed amendment, the executive’s powers regarding the transfer of judges would be curtailed, transferring the authority to the Judicial Commission. He added that the amendment also addresses delays in Senate elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to ensure simultaneous polls nationwide.

He noted that proposals to increase the number of advisers from five to seven and to amend Article 243 to alter the procedure for key appointments were also included. Additionally, the title of “Field Marshal” would remain an honorary, lifelong distinction.

The minister further stated that an amendment to Article 140-A had been proposed, reflecting MQM’s bill regarding local government powers, which will also be reviewed by the parliamentary committee.

PM Shehbaz said the amendment represented a collective effort in the national interest and to strengthen the federation’s relationship with the provinces. He thanked the Ministry of Law and Justice, the attorney general, and their teams for their contributions.

The premier said he had consulted PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari, expressing gratitude for their guidance and approval. He also thanked allied leaders Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Abdul Aleem Khan, Khalid Hussain Magsi, and Chaudhry Salik Hussain for their endorsement of the draft.

Shehbaz added that consultations had also been held with political leaders, including Aimal Wali Khan and Ijazul Haq. He said political and economic stability had set the country on the right path and urged all stakeholders to work collectively for national prosperity.