ISLAMABAD: The upper house of Pakistan parliament, Senate, on Sunday resumed its session to hold a debate on the proposed 27th constitutional amendment, with members of treasury and opposition presenting their arguments on the much-discussed legislation.
The bill proposes that the transfer of judges be handled by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, titles given to national heroes should remain with them for lifetime, and provincial cabinet threshold of 11 percent be increased to 13 percent for smaller provinces.
The draft amendment, which has been opposed by an alliance of opposition parties, was reviewed earlier in the day by Senate and National Assembly committees on law and justice, following its approval by the federal cabinet on Saturday.
Speaking at the Senate session, opposition member Ali Zafar detailed five points that he said formed the basic spirit of the 1973 Constitution: a federation with autonomous provinces, an elected parliament, fundamental rights, independent judiciary and civilian supremacy.
"If you disturb this balance even slightly through any amendment, then the entire constitution would be shaken and it may can result in major chaos,” said Zafar, a senator from jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
The PTI senator recalled how Pakistan's parliament “systematically” reached the 27th amendment as he highlighted the "slow, gradual but effective erosion of democracy," urging fellow members of the Senate to reject the bill and the government to hold further discussions.
"We are ready to speak with you to consider amendments that will benefit the people, but we will not tolerate that you harm the public," he said.
The session, presided over by Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani, had a one-point agenda to deliberate on 'The Constitution (Twenty-seventh Amendment) Bill, 2025.'
Addressing the sitting, Pervaiz Rashid, a senator from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, said some individuals had hidden a "political party’s flag under the robes of judges" and appreciated a fellow senator, Hamid Khan, for acknowledging controversial court verdicts.
"It is necessary that some improvements are brought in the judicial system," he said, criticizing the opposition for the "politics of sit-ins"
Senator Khan criticized the government for the manner in which it was attempted to have the amendment passed by parliament.
"Constitutional amendments are not promulgated in this manner," he said. "You first reach a consensus and then amend the constitution."
The constitutional changes, reviewed by the joint parliamentary committee earlier, are still being debated ahead of their passage from the upper house of parliament.
In Pakistan, constitutional amendments have historically been used to reshape the balance of power between the legislature, judiciary and provinces.
The proposed 27th amendment follows the 26th amendment passed in October 2024, which gave parliament a role in appointing the chief justice and created a new panel of senior judges to hear constitutional cases, measures critics said weakened judicial independence.
Pakistan’s constitution, adopted in 1973, has been amended more than two dozen times, often reflecting shifts in authority among civilian governments and the military. Provisions governing the National Finance Commission (NFC) award are among the most politically sensitive because they underpin the country’s federal structure and provincial autonomy.
