The federal government on Saturday presented a bill of the 27th Constitutional Amendment — proposing sweeping changes to the country’s judicial system as well as the military command structure — in the Senate.
The bill was introduced in the upper house and then referred to the Standing Committee on Law and Justice after the cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, virtually from Azerbaijan, approved the 27th Constitutional Amendment draft.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, who tabled the bill in the upper house, termed the 27th Amendment as a long-standing agenda in the context of the Charter of Democracy — political agreement signed in 2006 between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). Tarar said that the task could not be completed at the time of the 18th Amendment.
Amendment in Article 243
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.
The amendment seeks to abolish the “Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee” (CJCSC) position and introduce a new title, “Chief of Defence Forces”, according to the draft available with Brackly News.
The amendment bill also proposes that honorary titles such as Field Marshal, Marshal of the Air Force, and Admiral of the Fleet awarded to senior military officers in recognition of their services will carry lifetime status.
The law minister told the Senate that through the amendment, 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 prime minister would appoint the commander of the National Strategic Command from the Pakistan Army on the recommendation of the Chief of Defence Forces.
Establishment of Federal Constitutional Court
The amendment also proposes the establishment of the Federal Constitutional Court and an eventual reduction in the powers of the Supreme Court. It seeks to transfer certain constitutional authorities from the Supreme Court to the Federal Constitutional Court.
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.
Salient features of 27th Constitutional Amendment
- A new position, Chief of Defence Forces, to be created as head of the armed forces effective from November 27, 2025
- Chief of Army Staff to assume role as Chief of Defence Forces
- Field Marshal, Marshal of Air Force, Admiral of Fleet titles to remain for life
- The prime minister will appoint the commander of the National Strategic Command from the Pakistan Army on the recommendation of the Chief of Defence Forces
- Federal Constitutional Court to be established
- Equal provincial representation proposed in the Federal Constitutional Court
- President and prime minister to play a key role in judicial appointments
- Parliament to decide the number of judges in the Federal Constitutional Court
- Supreme Court powers to be reduced, with some authorities shifted to the new court
- Term of Federal Constitutional Court chief justice to be limited to three years
- Immunity to president from criminal proceedings for life
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