ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The joint session of Parliament’s Law and Justice Committees is currently underway to review the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment.
During the session, jointly chaired by Senator Farooq H. Naek and MNA Mehmood Bashir Virk, the government coalition has introduced three additional amendments, while the clause regarding the establishment of Constitutional Courts has been approved.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar formally withdrew the controversial clause granting prime minister immunity from criminal proceedings.
Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar told the committee that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had personally directed him and the Attorney General to withdraw the immunity clause, stating that an elected prime minister must remain accountable to the law. He added that non-executive positions may retain certain immunities, but the Prime Minister’s role is of an executive nature.
Several lawmakers, including Senators Tahir Khalil Sindhu, Hidayatullah, Shahadat Awan, Zamir Hussain Ghumro, and MNAs Ali Haider Gillani, Saira Afzal Tarar, Bilal Azhar Kayani, Syed Naveed Qamar, and Abrar Shah, attended the meeting. Senior officials from the Ministry of Law and Justice were also present.
Sources revealed that the committee has approved the clause establishing Constitutional Courts and extended the timeline for pending case decisions from six months to one year. Cases not pursued within a year will be deemed settled.
The Awami National Party (ANP) proposed renaming Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Pakhtunkhwa, arguing that “Khyber” refers to a district and other provinces do not include district names. The committee also agreed to increase the number of seats in the Balochistan Assembly, while discussions continue on amendments to Articles 200 and 243.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) presented an amendment regarding funding for local government representatives, which received consensus from the committee.
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Meanwhile, opposition parties including PTI, JUI-F, PKMAP, and MWM have boycotted the proceedings, refusing to attend the session
Senator Farooq H. Naek said that proposals not discussed earlier would be taken up today, including clauses related to judges’ transfers and joint command under Article 243. He expressed confidence that deliberations would conclude by evening, emphasizing that every party has the right to present its recommendations and that decisions will be made by majority vote before being forwarded to the House.
A Senate session has also been called at 3 p.m. today with a single-point agenda to deliberate on the 27th Amendment Bill, signaling the government’s determination to expedite the constitutional changes.
However, PTI parliamentary leader Barrister Ali Zafar criticized the move, calling it inappropriate to debate such major amendments in the absence of the opposition leader. He accused the government of rushing the process and warned that the proposed changes threaten the basic structure of the Constitution, weaken judicial independence, and disturb the delicate balance of powers established under the 1973 Constitution.