Pakistan’s 27th amendment moves forward after parliamentary committees’ approval

A joint sitting of Pakistan’s parliamentary law and justice committees on Sunday approved the 27th Amendment. Their report is set to be tabled on Monday.

The amendment institutionalises the role of the Pakistan Army chief as the country’s most powerful figure, effectively installing him as a national czar.

In a statement following the committees’ meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said all key amendments —including changes to Article 243 of the Constitution— had been approved.

Article 243 pertains to civil-military relations in Pakistan and the command-and-control structure of the armed forces. The proposed changes equate service chiefs with the president in terms of immunity from prosecution and effectively transfer appointment powers to the army chief.

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Under the proposed changes, the army chief will also concurrently serve as Chief of the Defence Forces — the supreme commander overseeing all three military services. The amendment further institutionalises the army’s primacy over other branches of the armed forces.

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While Dar said the 27th Amendment was passed amicably, leaders of PTI, MWM, PKMAP and the Sunni Ittehad Council did not attend the meeting, according to Dawn.

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These parties have also announced a boycott of the upcoming parliamentary sessions.

Government allies’ proposals rejected

During the meeting, four amendments moved by members of the ruling coalition were rejected.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) proposal to amend Article 140, which relates to local governments, and the Awami National Party’s (ANP) proposal to change the name of the province were both rejected, according to Dawn.

The joint session also turned down the Balochistan Awami Party’s (BAP) proposal to increase provincial assembly seats, the Pakistan Muslim League-Q’s (PML-Q) proposal for a uniform education curriculum across the country, and the ANP’s proposal to rename Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.