27th Constitutional Amendment bill tabled in Senate after cabinet’s approval

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Saturday tabled the 27th Constitutional Amendment bill in the Senate after approval by the federal cabinet.

Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani right away referred the bill to the Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice.

Addressing the Senate session, Tarar said more than 60,000 cases were pending in the courts. The cases related to the constitutional matters constituted 5 to 6 percent of the total cases and they took more than 50 percent of the judiciary’s time, he said. Hence, the government had decided to form a separate federal constitutional court, he added.

The minister said the 26th Amendment was restricted to establishment of constitutional benches only.

As per the proposal, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) would look after the matters of transferring a high court judge to another high court, he said. Judges’ original seniority would remain intact in case of their transfer as well, he said, adding that this was decided after the issue of seniority surfaced in the previous amendment.

The bill also proposed to make the army chief, chief of defence staff and dissolve the chairman joint chiefs designation, the law minister said. He said the field marshal’s designation would be given constitutional protection, he said.

The Senate elections would be held at one time, he said.

The federal cabinet earlier approved the draft of the 27th Constitutional Amendment during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who presided over the session via video link from Baku, Azerbaijan, according to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

The cabinet members welcomed the proposed amendment, which seeks to strengthen the federation’s relationship with the provinces and ensure broader constitutional reforms, the PM Office said.

During the meeting, the premier expressed gratitude to the coalition partners for their cooperation and praised the law ministry, the attorney general, and their teams for their efforts in finalising the amendment.

27th Amendment not tabled in Senate yet

He said the amendment was formulated in the larger national interest and through extensive consultations with allied parties. “We have worked together to achieve this milestone for the stability and progress of Pakistan,” he remarked.

The prime minister said he had also consulted party leader Nawaz Sharif for guidance on the amendment and expressed thanks to President Asif Ali Zardari for extending his support.

Shehbaz further acknowledged the role of Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P)’s Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Abdul Aleem Khan, Khalid Hussain Magsi, and Chaudhry Salik Hussain, saying their parties had fully endorsed the proposed legislation. He also mentioned that consultations were held with Aimal Wali Khan, Ijaz-ul-Haq, and other political leaders to build consensus.

Fazl rejects proposed 27th Amendment

“The country’s direction has been set right owing to political and economic stability,” PM Shehbaz said, adding that all stakeholders must work collectively for Pakistan’s development and prosperity.

The amendment is aimed at strengthening the judicial system and establishing a Federal Constitutional Court to enhance transparency and public confidence in the judiciary, Aaj News reported on Saturday.

Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan and Law Minister Tarar briefed the cabinet on the proposed changes, sources said.

Speaking to reporters outside the Prime Minister’s Office, Law Minister Tarar said the government plans to refer the bill to a joint parliamentary committee for detailed clause-by-clause discussion after its presentation in the Senate. He added that the prime minister had consulted all coalition partners before finalising the draft.

Tarar said all recommendations will be presented before the Parliament, requiring a two-thirds majority for passage. He added that MQM-P’s earlier proposal to amend Article 140A, tabled during the 26th Amendment, may also be taken up alongside the new bill.

The development has come a day after Pakistan Peoples Party’s Central Executive Committee decided to support the proposed 27th Amendment, with conditional approval for provisions related to establishing Constitutional Courts and reforms in the judicial transfer process.

Speaking at a press conference following the CEC meeting in Karachi on Friday, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said he had made it clear a day ago that the PPP will support Article 243 and will also vote in its favour.

He reiterated that PPP was considering supporting three key changes, including Article 243, Constitutional Courts, and judge transfers, ensuring reforms align with democratic principles and judicial independence.