Law Minister Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar on Tuesday presented the Constitutional (27th Amendment) Bill 2025 in the National Assembly. It is noteworthy that the bill was approved a day earlier by the Senate. The session of the National Assembly was presided over by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.
The Senate had passed the amendment bill on Monday with a two-thirds majority, during which 64 senators voted in favor while the opposition staged a walkout. The law minister had introduced the bill to enable essential amendments to the Constitution.
The amendment was approved through clause-by-clause voting, during which each amended clause was read out and presented for approval by the Chairman of the Senate, Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani. All 59 clauses were passed individually. During the session, JUI’s Ahmad Khan and PTI’s Saifullah Abro also cast their votes.
Highlighting the key features of the bill, the law minister stated that the 27th Amendment includes the proposal to establish a Federal Constitutional Court, where all federal units will receive equal representation. Under this framework, the Islamabad High Court will also be represented.
He explained that the proposed Federal Constitutional Court will hear cases related to constitutional matters and interpretation of the Constitution, and its permanent seat will be located in Islamabad.
He further noted that the president will be empowered to transfer a high court judge from one high court to another based on recommendations from the Judicial Commission of Pakistan. The chief justices of the concerned high courts will also be part of the commission for this process.
According to the amendment, the president will appoint the Chief of Army Staff and the Chief of Defence Forces on the prime minister’s advice. The prime minister will also recommend appointments of the Chief of Air Staff and the Chief of Naval Staff. Additionally, the position of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee will be abolished from 27 November 2025.
The law minister explained that the commander of the National Strategic Command will be appointed from within the Pakistan Army, and the federal government will determine their salary and privileges. Individuals appointed as Field Marshal, Marshal of the Air Force, or Admiral of the Fleet will retain their rank, privileges, and uniform for life, and their responsibilities will also be defined by the federal government.
The 27th Amendment states that no criminal proceedings can be initiated or continued against the president during their lifetime, and similarly, no proceedings can be conducted against a governor during their tenure.
The law minister added that an effort was made to conduct a comprehensive review of the amendment, incorporating discussions held in the relevant standing committees of both the National Assembly and the Senate. He also thanked the allied parties for their support.
The session began with prayers for Senator Irfan Siddiqui.
