Islamabad, November 8,2025: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday refused to participate in the proceedings for the tabling and passage of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, terming it a “pre-decided exercise.”
The rejection came shortly after Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar presented the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill in the Senate, which was subsequently referred to the Standing Committee on Law and Justice for review.
Speaking to the media outside Parliament House, PTI Senator Ali Zafar, accompanied by opposition lawmakers, criticised the government for allegedly bypassing consultation.
“Government members handed us a draft containing 50 amendments,” he said. “These amendments are being made secretly, and we were told to give our input in the standing committee. We haven’t even read a single word of it — how could we appear before the committee?”
The PML-N-led federal government has proposed major structural changes, including the abolition of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) and the creation of a new position titled Chief of Defence Forces. The bill also proposes significant judicial reforms, such as establishing a Constitutional Court, transferring certain powers from the Supreme Court to this new body, and empowering parliament to determine the number of its judges.
Senator Zafar contrasted the rushed process with the 18th Constitutional Amendment, saying it was passed after a year of extensive consultation. “This is a staged drama,” he remarked, accusing the government of seeking presidential immunity for life.
He further warned that the proposed amendment would abolish Article 184, which empowers the Supreme Court to protect fundamental rights. “The spirit of the 1973 Constitution is being changed. Through these amendments, the Supreme Court is being dismantled and reduced to a mere appellate court,” he said.
The PTI senator announced that his party “would not become part of the conspiracy against the Constitution.”
Meanwhile, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) head Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas denounced the proposals as “an attack on the integrity of Pakistan’s Constitution.” He recalled that the 18th Amendment was achieved through consensus, unlike the recent controversial processes. “This parliament does not represent the people of Pakistan,” he said. “The amendment will end the very status of parliament itself.”
