ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar tabled the 27th constitutional amendment reshaping military, judiciary command in the National Assembly on Tuesday after it was passed by the Senate a day earlier.
The “Constitution (Twenty-seventh Amendment) Bill, 2025” was passed by a two-thirds majority in the Senate on Monday after 64 legislators voted in favor of it. The amendment, which was tabled by Tarar last week in the Senate, makes sweeping changes to Pakistan’s constitutional framework.
It rewrites Article 243 to create the new post of Chief of Defense Forces, while abolishing the position of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC). Under the revised structure, the army chief will assume the constitutionally recognized top command of the armed forces.
The legislation also calls for the establishment of a Constitutional Court, reducing the powers of the top court. Critics have said the move would weaken the judiciary while the government has said Constitutional Courts would reduce the burden on the judiciary and ensure speedy dispensation of justice. The amendment also features new procedures for the transfer of judges. As per the amendment, the president can transfer a high court judge from one court to another on the recommendations of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan. It also alters the framework that governs how federal revenue is shared with provinces.
