ISLAMABAD: Senator Rana Sanaullah has said that the 28th Amendment will be tabled and passed very soon, and that it will deal with various issues of the people.
He also spoke about the noise around the 27th Amendment, suggesting that if judges were to resign as a protest, they would have done it that very day.
When asked about it, Senator Sanaullah said that Parliament has the right to decide on constitutional changes, stating that “Judges have made a solemn promise to uphold the law and it is not right for a judge to get involved in politics and protests”.
Seeing the letters of resignation from some judges as dramatization and hypocrisy, Sanaullah said that those judges who resigned have their own reasons behind it and that it is totally wrong for a judge to engage in politics and protests while holding such an important office and more so if the resignation is a politically charged statement.
Regarding the issue of judicial resignations, he said that the talk of withdrawal of benefits will come but that the matter will finally be decided by the Judicial Commission. He is of the view that such decisions should not be taken by the government.
Besides, Sanaullah affirmed that it was the 26th and 27th Amendments that had brought about peace in the country. He stated that the 28th Amendment which is mainly about the people’s issues will be passed soon. Besides, he informed that Punjab government is ready to hold local government elections in the near future, with the assistance of the assembly already done for the Local Government Act and work on constituencies continuing.
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Major points of the 27th constitutional amendment
President Asif Ali Zardari finally signed the 27th constitutional amendment 2025, and now it has become part of the Pakistan constitution, but what will be its implications in the long run over provincial autonomy and independence of the Judiciary?
The amendment outlines the establishment of a new institution, the Federal Constitutional Court, which will deal with constitutional matters and which may reduce some of the powers of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Amendments have been made in the process of appointment, transfer, and supervision of judges. Legal experts have expressed concerns that such changes could affect judicial independence, that is, the judiciary will be weakened from giving independent decisions against the government or other powerful institutions.
If the powers of the judiciary were restricted, fundamental rights, constitutional guarantees, and judicial oversight of the government may be weakened.
There are concerns about the amendment that the provincial autonomy granted under the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan is being weakened. Former Senator Raza Rabbani has warned that the amendment “will cast a shadow on provincial autonomy.”
Amendments have been made regarding the distribution of federal funds, the National Finance Commission Award, or the transfer of education and other sectors, which could reduce the fiscal or administrative autonomy of the provinces.
If the amendment gives the federation more powers than the provinces, the federal structure of the country may be affected, that is, the provinces may become weaker and the centre may have more control.
This could result in provincial governments being less effective on local issues and administrative matters at the provincial level, with decisions coming more from the centre.
Article 243 determined how the federal government would control and command the Armed Forces of Pakistan, including the appointment of the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, and Chief of Air Staff.
This article is being amended in such a way that the Army Chief is constitutionally given a new post of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), and the constitutional command of the head of all three services (Army, Navy, Air Force) will be merged with the Army Chief.
Under this, the post of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) has been abolished, meaning that this post will not remain at the constitutional level. It is intended to provide constitutional protection and lifetime immunity to officers holding five-star ranks (e.g., Field Marshal, Marshal of the Air Force, Admiral of the Fleet), meaning that they will enjoy certain privileges and immunities even after leaving office.
It is proposed to establish a new post of Commander National Strategic Command for the control of nuclear and strategic assets and to place his appointment at the discretion of the Prime Minister on the recommendation of the Army Chief.
The Army Chief will become the constitutionally “supreme commander”, who will head all three military branches. The post of CJCSC will be abolished, and new posts will be introduced constitutionally in its place.
Military officers will be provided with constitutional protections and long-term privileges, which until now were only subject to administrative orders. The military command structure will be further strengthened, and a new structure of control over nuclear and strategic assets will be introduced.
