Pakistan's govt approves much-hyped amendment in cabinet meeting

Pakistan’s federal cabinet on Saturday approved the 27th Constitutional Amendment in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who was participating via video link from Baku, Azerbaijan.

Pakistan’s federal cabinet has approved the draft of the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill, which will be presented in Parliament, Law and Justice Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar announced.

The approval came during a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif via video link from Baku, Azerbaijan, where the law minister provided a detailed briefing on the proposed reforms.

Joint parliamentary committee

Minister Tarar said the government plans to forward the bill to a joint parliamentary committee today, including members of the Senate and National Assembly’s Law and Justice Committees.

Senator Farooq H. Naek will chair the committee, with M. Bashir Virk serving as co-chair. Representatives from other political parties may also join to ensure inclusivity.

Political consultations

The law minister noted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held consultations with coalition partners, including PPP, MQM-P, PML-Q, BAP, ANP, the National Party, and Ijaz-ul-Haq, to develop a consensus on the reforms. All partners reaffirmed their commitment to the Charter of Democracy and the longstanding plan to establish a Federal Constitutional Court.

“The creation of a Constitutional Court is part of the 27th Amendment proposal and is expected to bring a significant reform in the justice system,” Tarar said.

Key features of the amendment

The proposed 27th Amendment aims to introduce several institutional, judicial, and procedural reforms:

• Federal Constitutional Court: To adjudicate constitutional matters and reduce the Supreme Court’s caseload.
• Transfer of judges: Judicial Commission of Pakistan will oversee transfers with Chief Justices’ participation for transparency.
• Senate elections reform: Clarifies postponed tenures, synchronizes elections nationwide, and increases transparency in leadership elections.
• Cabinet representation: Increases provincial representation threshold from 11% to 13% and raises the number of non-elected advisors from five to seven, including experts in IT and commerce.
• Defence provisions: Amends Article 243 to codify military command structures and honorary titles, citing lessons from tensions with India.
• National heroes recognition: Provides honorary ceremonial titles to distinguished citizens.
• Local government empowerment: MQM-P’s proposed amendments to Article 140A will be supported.

Political and legal coordination

Tarar stressed that all amendments require a two-thirds parliamentary majority and that rival political parties will have full participation in debates. He reiterated that the 27th Amendment represents the most substantial constitutional reform initiative in recent years, aiming at institutional restructuring, judicial transparency, and enhanced provincial representation.

The federal government is now working to secure a broad parliamentary consensus to ensure smooth passage in the coming days.