Pakistan Constitutional Amendments:

The STRATCOM Bureau
@OSPSF

Yesterday, the 16th National Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan passed the Constitution (Twenty-Seventh Amendment) Act, 2025.

As such, the following changes will be made to the Constitution of Pakistan relating to military/defense:-

1. Five-star officers of the Pakistan Armed Forces, currently Field Marshal Asim Munir, will retain the rank of Field Marshal, all privileges thereof, and will remain in uniform, for life.

2. Five-star officers of the Pakistan Armed Forces, currently Field Marshal Asim Munir, cannot be removed from office/appointment except via a full parliamentary impeachment procedure requiring 2/3rds majority from both houses of parliament.

3. Five-star officers of the Pakistan Armed Forces, currently Field Marshal Asim Munir, will be granted Presidential Immunity and shall not be answerable to any court for the exercise of powers and performance of functions of their respective offices or for any act done or purported to be done in the exercise of those powers and performance of those functions. No criminal proceedings whatsoever shall be instituted or continued against them in any court during their term of office and no process for the arrest or imprisonment of them shall issue from any court during their term of office.

4. The Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army will from now on concurrently hold the office and appointment of the Chief of Defense Forces, who will be the senior-most uniformed military officer of Pakistan and also the principal military advisor of the Government of Pakistan, the President and Prime Minister, and the National Command Authority.

5. The office and appointment of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Pakistan Armed Forces, erstwhile the principal military advisor of the Government of Pakistan, will stand abolished, in immediate effect from the 27th of November 2025.

6. A new command shall be created in the Pakistan Armed Forces, the National Strategic Command, which will maintain joint operational command and control over all nuclear weapons held by the Army, Air Force and Navy's strategic forces/commands. The National Strategic Command will function parallel to the Strategic Plans Division, and will function under and in subordination of the National Command Authority (NCA). Thus, a new office and appointment, shall be created namely the Commander of the National Strategic Command of the Pakistan Armed Forces, who shall be appointed by the Prime Minister on the recommendation of the Chief of Defense Forces and Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army, and that the Commander of the National Strategic Command will be from the Pakistan Army.

7. Upon completion of the term of their command, whenever that may be, five-star officers of the Pakistan Armed Forces, currently Field Marshal Asim Munir, shall be given additional responsibilities and duties determined by the Federal Government in the interest of the State.

8. The salaries, allowances and privileges of five-star officers of the Pakistan Armed Forces, currently Field Marshal Asim Munir, shall be determined by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister.
 
Imran Khan is the last man standing against it.
Not really. I like that Mr Khan is stubborn and is now like a bone stuck in throat of Fauj, but he and his party never cared about Constitution or democracy. Weird thing is nobody in Pakistan seems to care except few educated folks and online commentariat. This in a country founded by a lawyer.

Sometimes I wonder how naive Mr Jinnah was or how detached he was from the common Muslims.
 
I like that Mr Khan is stubborn and is now like a bone stuck in throat of Fauj, but he and his party never cared about Constitution or democracy.
Who abided by the SC decision to uphold the constitution on VONC against PM Imran Khan? Who went to SC on illegal floor crossing due to horse trading because the constitution didn’t allow it? Who demanded fresh elections within 90 days after dissolution of KPK and Punjab assembly as per the constitution of Pakistan? 🙄
 
Not really. I like that Mr Khan is stubborn and is now like a bone stuck in throat of Fauj, but he and his party never cared about Constitution or democracy. Weird thing is nobody in Pakistan seems to care except few educated folks and online commentariat. This in a country founded by a lawyer.

Sometimes I wonder how naive Mr Jinnah was or how detached he was from the common Muslims.

I believe he was totally detached.
 
Not really. I like that Mr Khan is stubborn and is now like a bone stuck in throat of Fauj, but he and his party never cared about Constitution or democracy. Weird thing is nobody in Pakistan seems to care except few educated folks and online commentariat. This in a country founded by a lawyer.

Glad to see you, as far as I know, first time recognizing the bolded part.
To which I'd add: Imran's PTI is probably THE MOST undemocratic party in entire Pakistan! There used to be the one man rule of Nawaz or Zulfi Bhutto but they were repeatedly humbled by the Establishment so many times that they, going forward, decided to try to do some collective wisdom.
PS. The only democratic party in Pakistan remains the Jamaat e Islami; I have never voted for them but I don't mind if the city of Karachi is given to them for governance.
 
There used to be the one man rule of Nawaz or Zulfi Bhutto but they were repeatedly humbled by the Establishment
One-man rule within the political party is a "problem" but apparently not the one-man rule within the military establishment… 🙄
 
Sometimes I wonder how naive Mr Jinnah was or how detached he was from the common Muslims.
I believe he was totally detached.
Jinnah wasn’t detached. Muslims who lived in Eastern and Western most parts of British India at that time actually voted for a separate country, called Pakistan. The same right to vote and respected which the military establishment denied Pakistanis since the establishment of Pakistan. 🙄
 

COAS Asim Munir to serve five years as CDF​


NA approves key amendments to Army, Air Force, Navy acts to create Chief of Defence Forces, new top ranks

Web Desk/Khalid Mehmood
November 13, 2025


field marshal asim munir addressing participants of 17th national workshop balochistan at the ghq photo screengrab ispr


Field Marshal Asim Munir addressing participants of 17th National Workshop Balochistan at the GHQ. Photo: Screengrab ISPR



The National Assembly approved amendments to the Pakistan Army Act, 1952, Pakistan Air Force Act, 1953, and Pakistan Navy Ordinance, 1961, with a majority vote to bring the laws governing the armed forces in line with the 27th Constitutional Amendment.

The session saw Defence Minister Khawaja Asif present the amendment bills, which were approved by the House following voting. The lawmakers also passed the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure (Amendment) Bill during the same sitting.

Explaining the amendments, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the legislative changes were introduced to harmonise existing laws with the new constitutional framework.

He stated that the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) will serve a five-year term from the date of appointment, while certain adjustments have been made to the structures of the Air Force and Navy. He added that amendments concerning appointments to the newly established Constitutional Court had also been approved, with the Chief Justice to be the first appointee.
 

CJP Afridi convenes full court to discuss 27th Amendment​

Session scheduled for Friday after multiple letters from SC Justices, Bar Associations, senior lawyers

JEHANZEB ABBASI
November 13, 2025


cjp afridi convenes full court to discuss 27th amendment


CJP Afridi convenes full court to discuss 27th Amendment

Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi has convened a full court session on Friday to deliberate on the 27th Constitutional Amendment, after it was passed in the Senate today by a two-thirds majority of 64 votes.

The session is scheduled for tomorrow, before Friday prayers, sources told The Express Tribune. The decision follows multiple letters from Supreme Court justices, bar associations, and senior lawyers requesting deliberation on the amendment.

The major constitutional tweak proposes making the Supreme Court subordinate to the newly established Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), with the FCC’s decisions having a binding effect on the Supreme Court. The FCC will hear all constitutional cases, ending the Supreme Court’s suo motu powers.

The Senate approved the 27th Constitutional Amendment bill after a second round of voting on Thursday, following its passage in the National Assembly on Wednesday. After Senate approval, the bill was signed by President Asif Ali Zardari today. The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs forwarded the bill and got the President’s assent. The Ministry of Law will now issue a gazette notification, as the 27th Amendment has officially become law.

The new amendment has sparked widespread concern among the judiciary and legal community, with critics arguing that it undermines the independence of the Supreme Court.

The controversy has prompted letters from sitting judges, petitions from senior lawyers, and coordinated protests by bar associations, highlighting the deep apprehension over the potential shift in the balance of power between the judiciary and the executive.

Justice Syed Mansoor had urged Chief Justice Yahya Afridi to engage the executive regarding the proposed amendment. Similarly, Justice Athar Minallah suggested convening a judicial convention. Retired judges and senior lawyers had also requested the Chief Justice to take the same step.
 

Constitution rejigged 27th time​


Opposition rips up copies of 27th Bill; 234 MNAs vote in favour, four against; PM hails passage as historic milestone

Our Correspondent
November 13, 2025


prime minister shehbaz sharif and pml n quaid nawaz sharif interact with mps during the national assembly session photo nni


Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif interact with MPs during the National Assembly session. PHOTO: NNI

ISLAMABAD: The ruling coalition led by the PML-N on Wednesday succeeded in getting the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill passed through the National Assembly amid noisy protest by the opposition.

The bill sought crucial changes to a number of articles mostly dealing with the judiciary and the military leadership

It was passed by a two-way voting process - voting by division and clause-by-clause voting. Presented in the house for voting by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, the bill will now be referred back to the Senate for the new amendments to be debated upon again and then will be passed by the upper house.

National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said the bill received 234 votes in favour and four against.

Earlier, clause-by-clause voting was carried out to pass 59 clauses of the amendment. Later, voting by division was conducted, during which the entry and exit gates of the House were closed as per parliamentary protocol.

Bells were rung for five minutes for members' exit from the house and for two minutes to mark their return to the house.

The bill comprised 59 clauses, all of which were approved by the National Assembly with a two-thirds majority.
 
The president and the prime minister will play key roles in judicial appointments, while some powers of the Supreme Court will be transferred to the new court.

Similarly, the Judicial Commission will decide on the transfer of high court judges, and any objections to such transfers will be reviewed by the Supreme Judicial Council.

The eligibility period for high court judges for appointment to the Federal Constitutional Court has been reduced from seven to five years.

The seniority of sitting Supreme Court judges appointed to the new court will remain intact, while seniority among new appointees from the bar or high courts will be determined by age.

The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) has been expanded to include, in addition to a woman or non-Muslim member, a technocrat nominated by the Speaker of the National Assembly, qualified to become a member of Parliament, ensuring broader merit-based representation.

The suo motu powers will now be exercised by the Federal Constitutional Court upon written application and after the court's satisfaction that constitutional grounds exist for intervention, ensuring transparency and judicial restraint.
 

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