In partnership with
GOVT PUSHES 27TH AMEND BILL IN SENATE AFTER CABINET’S NOD AMID HEATED POLITICAL, LEGAL DEBATE
Profit
Sunday, 9 November, 2025 | 17 Jamadiul Awwal, 1447
g
g
PM SHEHBAZ CHAIRS CABINET SESSION VIA VIDEO-LINK FROM BAKU TO APPROVE DRAFT AS ALLIES BACK THE BILL AIMING TO STREAMLINE CONSTITUTIONAL PROCESS
g
CABINET-APPROVED DRAFT TABLED IN SENATE WHICH WAS REFERRED TO NA, SENATE LAW PANELS FOR DETAILED REVIEW
LAW MINISTER EMPHASIZES DISCUSSIONS TO CONTINUE UNTIL A CONSENSUS REACHED AMONG ALL MEMBERS, INVITING OPPOSITION TO JOIN SESSION
I
ISLAMABAD
Saleem Jadoon
N a decisive move, the federal government on Saturday accelerated the much-debated process for the 27th Constitutional Amendment, presenting the bill in the Senate immediately after federal cabinet approval. The step, described by some critics as “rushed,” triggered intense discussions in the parliamentary committees on law and justice, highlighting the complex interplay of
politics, provincial rights, and judicial reforms in Pakistan. The move has drawn both support from allied parties and sharp criticism from opposition and legal experts who view certain aspects as encroaching on provincial autonomy and the 18th Amendment. The draft, which has been under deliberation for over a decade, proposes significant structural changes, including the formation of a Federal Constitutional Court, revisions in the appointment and transfer processes of high court judges, adjustments to provincial
PTI denounces 27th Amend as a ‘strike at very foundation of constitutional structure’ ISLAMABAD
Staff report
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday denounced the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment as a “conspiracy against the Constitution,” refusing to participate in the parliamentary committee formed to scrutinize the bill. Party leaders warned that the amendment threatens the independence of the judiciary, undermines provincial rights, and is being pushed through in haste without broad consultation or
national consensus. “The proposed 27th Amendment is nothing short of a conspiracy against the Constitution that’s why the entire process is being carried out hastily in complete disregard of democratic norms and parliamentary traditions,” Senator Ali Zafar told the media. “The amendments {strike at the very foundation} of the constitutional structure by undermining the judiciary and eroding the delicate balance of powers that the 1973 Constitution carefully created,” he regretted.
Rs 20.00 | Vol XVI No 123 | 8 Pages | Islamabad Edition
g
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, speaking to media after the session, emphasized that discussions would continue until a consensus was reached among all members. “All parties were participating, and we even requested the opposition to join the session,” Tarar said, adding that the boycott was limited to JUI-F members who had been instructed by their party leadership not to attend. Tarar described the amendment as a “long-awaited” reform, which had been part of constitutional discussions for the past 10– 15 years. He recalled that during the 18th
Opposition alliance announces nationwide protests against 27th Amendment ISLAMABAD
The Tehreek-e-Tahafuz Ayeen-ePakistan (TTAP) — a multi-party opposition alliance — has announced a nationwide protest movement against the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment, just hours after the government introduced it in the upper house of Parliament. “Democratic institutions have been paralysed in Pakistan… the nation must rise against the [proposed] 27th Amendment,” said
JOINT SESSION OF NA AND SENATE LAW COMMITTEES CONVENED; JUI-F MEMBERS BOYCOTT OVER PROVINCIAL RIGHTS CONCERNS
PM ENGAGES ALLIES; OPPOSITION PTI AND JUI-F RAISE CONCERNS OVER PROVINCIAL RIGHTS, NFC SHARES AND TRANSPARENCY
cabinet thresholds, and modifications to the military leadership structure. Committee Deliberations and Initial Reactions After the Senate tabled the bill, it was referred to the standing committees on law and justice, which convened a joint session of the National Assembly and Senate committees to discuss its provisions. However, two Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) members, Aliya Kamran and Senator Kamran Murtaza, boycotted the session, citing that the draft included clauses that had been previously discarded in the 26th Amendment deliberations.
Staff report
g
Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas in a statement. Abbas accused the government of granting “even more authority to the already powerful” through the proposed constitutional changes. Alongside the MWM, the TTAP alliance comprises the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), and the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).
and 26th Amendments, similar proposals had been debated, but were either delayed or modified based on political consensus. “One of the aims of the proposed changes is to eliminate the criticism of a ‘court within a court,’” he added, noting that arguments on approximately 60 percent of the clauses had already been completed. Senate and standing committee sessions were adjourned until Sunday, November 9, signaling the government’s intent to continue deliberations without pause until key issues were resolved.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 03
PML-N, PPP defend handling of 27th Amendment process ISLAMABAD
Staff report
The Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Saturday defended the government’s handling of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, rejecting claims that the process was being rushed through without adequate debate, insisting the draft had undergone “extensive scrutiny” before being tabled in the Senate, following approval from the federal cabinet.
Earlier in the day, the bill for the 27th Constitutional Amendment was formally presented in the Senate and referred to the standing committees on law and justice for detailed review. The committees are expected to hold joint sessions to deliberate on the proposed changes, including the formation of a Federal Constitutional Court, revisions to the appointment process of high court judges, adjustments to the provincial cabinet threshold, and modifications to the military leadership structure.