27th amendment: PTI's Gohar accuses the executive of shielding itself from accountability

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar tabled the 27th Constitutional Amendment in the National Assembly on Tuesday, a day after its smooth passage through the Senate.

The National Assembly (NA) began its session on Tuesday morning, led by Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, to vote on the 27th Constitutional Amendment. The session began with prayers for the late Senator Irfan Siddiqui, after which lawmakers are expected to debate and decide on the proposed changes that have drawn sharp criticism from legal and political circles alike.

Tarar said the bill “seeks to strengthen institutional harmony and judicial accountability” and added that past amendments “caused unnecessary friction between the judiciary and parliament”.

The NA comprises of 336 members, but with 10 seats currently vacant, the total number of sitting members stands at 326. To pass a constitutional amendment, the ruling coalition requires the “golden figure” of 224 votes.

At present, the ruling alliance commands the support of 237 members in the NA. The PML-N is the largest party in the coalition with 125 members, followed by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement with 22, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid with 5, the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party with 4, and one member each from the Pakistan Muslim League-Zia and the Balochistan Awami Party. The government also enjoys the backing of four independent members.

However, the National Party, part of the ruling coalition, has decided not to vote in favour of the constitutional amendment.

PPP, with 74 members, is the second-largest party within the coalition. Its support has been crucial in helping the federal government secure not only a simple majority but also a two-thirds majority when required.

On the other hand, the opposition benches have only 89 members in total. These include 75 independents, 10 members from the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-Pakistan), and one member each from the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), the Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM), the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), and the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP).

Tarar said under the proposed changes, the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) would be created to handle constitutional matters, while the Judicial Commission (JC) would gain powers to appoint, evaluate, and transfer judges with their consent.

“The right of suo motu has been restricted so it is not misused to grill the government,” he said, adding that all provinces would be represented under the new judicial structure.

On Article 243, he said that following the Indian attack in May 2025, the government established a war committee under the National Security Committee and gave the head of the armed forces the rank of field marshal. Tarar said the lifetime status of the field marshal rank requires legal recognition under the Army Act.

Referring to Article 248, he said the President of Pakistan, regardless of party affiliation, should enjoy lifetime legal immunity after leaving office, except when elected again to a public office.

The government informed the NA that the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill comprises 59 clauses and around 47–48 consequential amendments, with a vote to follow after debate.

PTI lawmakers protested in the House, shouting slogans against the bill.

Opposition lawmaker Barrister Gohar rejected the bill, calling it the “Baku amendment” and a “betrayal of the oath to serve the country and democracy.” He accused the government of pursuing the changes for “its own benefit”,

Criticising proposed immunity clauses, Gohar said: “Was Donald Trump not convicted? Did France’s or Israel’s presidents have immunity? Which country gives lifetime protection to its leaders?”

Amid opposition protests, he added, “We are loyal to the country and the law — but today you are shielding yourselves from accountability.”

Addressing the amendments being made to the judiciary, saying, "You will have hand-picked judges, take them out of your pocket, who will make verdicts you decide."

He challenged the government to point out a single amendment among the 59 proposed that would benefit the public, adding that "Bilawal Bhutto has buried his grandfather's Constitution."

PTI's Latif Khosa addressed the government benches, stating, “A very good point was raised — that we, the elected representatives of Pakistan, have been separated from the army. But are these truly the elected representatives? Place your hand on your heart and say it honestly. Can those who were born out of Form-47s sit here and claim to be the genuine representatives of the people — empowered to make structural changes to the Constitution?”

The bill aims to establish a federal constitutional court (FCC) and grant the president permanent immunity, as well as lifetime status for the field marshal rank, amid criticism that the amendment will erode the judiciary's independence.

Read: 27th amend rushed through Senate amid opp walkout

Senate passes amendment

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar presented the motion for approval of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, which was adopted by a majority vote. During the session chaired by Gillani, the law minister presented each clause of the bill separately for approval.

Members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) staged a strong protest during the proceedings. They tore up copies of the bill and gathered in front of the chairman’s dais, chanting slogans against the government. Despite the commotion, voting continued, and clause-by-clause approval was granted.

PTI Senator Saifullah Abro did not join the protest and instead voted in favour of the amendment. JUI-F Senator Ahmed Khan and Senator Naseema Ehsan also supported the bill.

A joint meeting of the Senate and the National Assembly's law and justice standing committees had approved the amendment bill with minor tweaks, amid an opposition boycott yesterday.

Chairperson of the Committee, Farooq Hamid Naek, briefed the House on the deliberations regarding the 27th Constitutional Amendment, saying the joint committee session included all members and special invitees who proposed certain amendments.