Joint Committees Discuss 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill

Islamabad: The joint committees on law and justice of the National Assembly and the Senate met on Sunday to discuss the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment.

The bill, approved by the federal cabinet yesterday, aims to introduce major changes including:

• Creation of a Federal Constitutional Court (FCC)
• Changes in the appointment of high court judges
• A higher limit on provincial cabinets
• Changes to the military leadership structure

The committees are also discussing a system to transfer high court judges through the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, possibly without the judges’ consent.

Senator Farooq H. Naek and MNA Chaudhry Mahmood Bashir Virk are co-chairing the meeting. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Minister of State for Law Barrister Aqeel Malik are also attending.

Some opposition members, including PTI lawmakers and JUI-F members, boycotted the meeting. Nearly 80% of the bill, including most judicial reforms, has been cleared, but discussions on the field marshal’s role under Article 243 were postponed.

The Senate will meet today at 3 pm to consider the bill, showing urgency in passing the amendments. PTI leader Barrister Ali Zafar criticized the government for rushing the bill and said it undermines judicial independence and the Constitution’s balance of powers.

However, ruling parties PML-N and PPP said the bill has gone through detailed scrutiny. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has held consultations with multiple ruling allies, but no talks were reported with PTI.