ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The National Assembly on Wednesday approved the 59-clause 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill during the session presided by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq amid the opposition boycott.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar moved the bill in the Lower House of the Parliament, two days after the Senate approved the key legislation with a two-thirds majority, seeking major reforms in the judiciary and military.
The bill, titled The Constitution (Twenty-Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2025, passed with a two-thirds majority, securing 234 votes in favor and four against it.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto also attended the session to help sail the much-awaited amendments.
The bill additionally included eight amendments aimed at clarifying the chief justice’s position, which were not part of the version earlier approved by the Senate.
Earlier, clause-by-clause voting was carried out; 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.
Key new amendment
As per the new provisions, the Chief of Army Staff will assume the role of Chief of Defence Forces. The titles of Field Marshal, Marshal of the Air Force, and Admiral of the Fleet will remain for life.
A Federal Constitutional Court will be established with equal provincial representation. FCC will have suo motu powers upon written application.
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 President and 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 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 amendment extends the stay order period in revenue and taxation cases from six months to one year. If a case remains undecided beyond that period, the stay will automatically stand vacated, enabling the timely recovery of public revenue.
On the transfer of judges, the bill authorizes the Judicial Commission of Pakistan to process inter-court transfers. If a judge declines transfer without a valid reason, the matter will be referred to the Supreme Judicial Council for a hearing before any decision is made.
The presidential immunity clause has been confined to the tenure of office only and will not apply if a former President assumes a public position after completing the term.
