LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has said that the 27th Constitutional Amendment proposed by the government amounts to a robbery of both the Constitution and the judiciary; this amendment is not a result of the people’s vote but rather an act of theft.
While addressing at a joint press conference on Monday, PTI provincial legislator Sheikh Imtiaz and PTI Central Punjab Information Secretary Faiza Murad said that the government’s intentions are to fulfil a dream that General Zia-ul-Haq once had, a vision that General Musharraf could not achieve.
“The purpose of these amendments is not to strengthen the justice system but to bring the judiciary under government control,” they added.
They raised serious concerns about the implications of these amendments, questioning how judges appointed by the Prime Minister could ever oppose the government. According to them, the power of a suo motu notice is being stripped from the Supreme Court, which is now being restricted to cases involving family matters and rent disputes only. Any judge who defies the government could find themselves effectively retired.
They also pointed out that while there were previous discussions about lifetime positions for field marshals, the current amendments are paving the way for granting lifetime immunity to the President. They condemned these amendments as being against democracy and the independence of the judiciary, arguing that they are being enacted solely to appease an individual.
They criticised the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), stating that despite claiming to uphold the Constitution, it is supporting this unconstitutional amendment without even presenting the draft in the Central Executive Committee meeting. Even members of parliament seem unaware of its specific provisions, they added.
They made it clear that the PTI’s stance is that a fake and unconstitutional government lacks the authority to make any amendments and accused the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of passing laws without proper drafts, which historically aligns with dictatorial practices.
“A government elected with only 17 seats does not have the right to amend the Constitution,” they added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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