27th Constitutional Amendment: LHC full bench allows petitioners to amend their pleas

LAHORE: A full bench of the Lahore High Court headed by Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan allowed the petitioners to amend their petitions challenging the 27th constitutional amendment on Friday.

Earlier, the bench reminded one of the petitioners’ counsel that under article 174, it is necessary to make Islamic Republic of Pakistan a party to the case.

The lawyer acknowledged the oversight regarding proper impleading of parties and sought permission to submit handwritten amendments and to add the party.

The bench observed that there was no provision for handwritten amendments and rejected the request, observing that since a constitutional amendment had been challenged, the court must also proceed strictly in accordance with the Constitution.

The bench, therefore, granted time to file formal amendments in the petitions and adjourned further proceedings for a date to be fixed later.

The petitioners include Ashba Kamran, Shahid Rana, Hassan Latif and Syed Salman Haider Jafri.

The petitioners mainly argued that the amendment conflicts with the basic structure and spirit of the Constitution.

They said there is a fear that the status of the Supreme Court would be weakened and judicial independence compromised following the amendment.

They alleged that the amendment has distorted the country’s 60-year judicial history and tradition and added that a federal constitutional court was never part of the original constitutional scheme.

The petitioners contend that radical changes introduced by the amendment contradict the preamble of the Constitution and are aimed at curtailing the powers of the judiciary.

The amendment, they said, runs counter to Islamic provisions, judicial independence and fundamental rights.

They the amendment is passed by an assembly lacks the authority to introduce such major constitutional changes and asked the court to declare the amendment as unconstitutional.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025