Parliamentary committees’ report on constitutional modifications is anticipated to be tabled in the Senate today
Major constitutional changes proposed, including a new federal court and military honors, as key provincial proposals are delayed.
27th Constitutional Amendment – (Special Correspondent / Web Desk) – The Senate and the National Assembly’s law and justice standing committees will give a report on the 27th Constitutional Amendment to the upper house of Parliament today.
According to the agenda, which Dawn has a copy of, the session will begin at 11 a.m. Senator Farooq H. Naek, who chairs the Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice, will submit a report on the 27th Constitutional Amendment bill.
The bill, introduced by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar in the Senate on Saturday amid opposition outrage and hours after receiving approval from the federal cabinet, seeks to establish a federal constitutional court and award field marshals lifetime status.
On Sunday, a joint meeting of the Senate and the National Assembly’s law and justice standing committees had approved the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill with minor changes amid a boycott by the opposition.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who also attended the meeting, said all key amendments, including changes to Article 243, which provides that the federal government “shall have control and command of the armed forces” and pertains to the military command structure, were amicably approved by both committees.
Senator Naek, who was presiding over the meeting, said the bill was adopted with minor changes. He said that the committees empowered him and the law minister to make a couple of amendments.
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The committees, however, deferred the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) proposal, seeking to amend Article 140 that pertains to local governments, as well as the Awami National Party’s (ANP) recommendation for changing the name of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The ANP had submitted a proposal to rename the province by removing ‘Khyber’, arguing that Khyber was a district and other provinces did not include district names in their titles. Likewise, the Balochistan National Party’s proposed amendment to increase the province’s seats in Parliament was also deferred.
Earlier in the day, ANP’s Hidayatullah Khan told reporters that the committee had sought time until Monday to decide on his party’s suggestion for changing the name of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Meanwhile, the law minister told reporters it was decided that provinces would be taken into confidence on changing KP’s name.
A proposal for immunity for the prime minister was also included in the 27th Amendment bill, but Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday ordered its withdrawal, saying that the premier must remain “fully accountable”.
“On my return from Azerbaijan, I have learnt that some senators belonging to our party have submitted an amendment regarding immunity for the prime minister,” he said in a post on social media platform X.
“While I acknowledge their intent in good faith, the proposal was not part of the Cabinet-approved draft. I have instructed that it be withdrawn immediately,” PM Shehbaz said.
“As a matter of principle, an elected prime minister must remain fully accountable, both before the court of law and the people,” he said.
Later that day, the premier hosted a dinner for coalition senators at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad, congratulating them on the joint parliamentary committee’s ratification of the 27th Amendment bill.
PM Shehbaz expressed gratitude to the leaders of all allied parties and President Asif Ali Zardari.
“All of us made unified efforts to strengthen the federation, in the broader interests of the country, to increase harmony among the provinces and to improve governance,” he claimed.
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