27th constitutional tweak proposes key changes in military command structure

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has prepared a draft of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, proposing to abolish the “Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee” (CJCSC) position and introduce a new title, “Chief of Defence Forces”.

In the 27th tweaks, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led government proposed sweeping changes to the country’s judicial system and as well as the military command structure.

Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said that the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment has been approved by the cabinet, virtually chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The amendment proposes several changes to the Constitution, including in Article 243, which states that “The Federal Government shall have control and command of the Armed Forces” and “the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces shall vest in the President”, among other things.

Besides introducing the Chief of Defence Forces title for the head of the armed forces, Field Marshal and other senior military officers would be granted lifetime status for their ranks, according to the draft available with Brackly News.

Later in the day, Tarar presented the amendment bill in the upper house of parliament and confirmed that, in recognition of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) services, the constitutional tweak proposes “Chief of Defence Forces” for him.

As per the proposal, the law minister further said, the current army chief would assume the role of Chief of Defence Forces after the completion of the term of the incumbent Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee on November, 27 2025.

Tarar clarified said the rank of Field Marshal is not an official appointment but an honorary title that remains with the individual for life.

Similarly, the law minister said that the amendment also proposed that only parliament would be empowered to reverse the titles of Field Marshal, Marshal of the Air Force, and Admiral of the fleet to impeach them.

The draft of the 27th Constitutional Amendment also proposes sweeping reforms to the judicial framework.

According to the draft, the president and prime minister would have a central role in the appointment of judges, while parliament would be empowered to determine the number of judges serving in the proposed Federal Constitutional Court.

The amendment also seeks to curtail the powers of the Supreme Court, transferring certain constitutional functions to the new court, where all provinces would enjoy equal representation. The Chief Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court would serve a three-year term.