ISLAMABAD: The Senate, the upper house of Pakistan parliament, on Monday passed the 27th constitutional amendment with two-thirds majority, amid a protest by opposition members.

The draft amendment tabled last week introduces several far-reaching changes. It rewrites Article 243 of the Constitution to create the new post of Chief of Defense Forces, abolishing the long-standing role of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of

Staff Committee (CJCSC). The army chief would be elevated to the constitutionally recognized top command of Pakistan’s armed services, while the president would formally appoint the army, navy and air chiefs on the prime minister’s advice.

The amendment also proposes establishing a constitutional court, revising procedures on the transfer of judges and altering the framework that governs how federal revenue is shared with provinces. The proposed changes to the National

Finance Commission (NFC) award, which governs how federal tax revenues are divided among provinces, are particularly sensitive because they underpin Pakistan’s federal structure and provincial fiscal autonomy.

Opposition members chanted slogans, tore apart and tossed copies of the amendment bill presented by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, before walking out of the House. Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani held voting on each clause of the bill, announcing the number of senators voting in favor and opposition in televised proceedings of the House.

“I now announce the result of voting, 64 members are in favor of the motion regarding passage of the bill and none against it,” Gilani said. “So, the motion is carried by the votes of not less than two-thirds of the total membership of the Senate and consequently the bill stands passed.”

The changes have stirred one of the most politically sensitive constitutional debates in years.

Several former senior judges and prominent lawyers have written to Chief Justice Yahya Afridi warning that Pakistan’s proposed 27th constitutional amendment would “permanently denude” the Supreme Court of its constitutional authority, according to a letter seen by Arab News on Monday.

“With deep sadness and with the deepest regret, this letter is being written by us not in normal times but in times that present the greatest threat to the Supreme Court of Pakistan since its establishment in 1956,” the signatories wrote in a letter to the chief justice, adding that the proposed amendment would be “the biggest and the most radical restructuring of the Federal Appellate Court structure since the enactment of the Government of India Act, 1935.”

“We say this without any fear of contradiction that no civilian or military government in Pakistan’s history has even tried, let alone succeeded, in relegating the Supreme Court of Pakistan as a sub-ordinate court and permanently denude it of its constitutional jurisdiction, as is being done through the proposed Constitution (Twenty-Seventh Amendment) Act, 2025,” the letter said.

The signatories requested Chief Justice Afridi to “call a Full Court Meeting immediately and without any delay” to deliberate on the amendment before parliament votes on it.

Constitutional amendments in Pakistan require a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament. Since its adoption in 1973, the constitution has been amended more than two dozen times, often reflecting shifts in authority between civilian governments, the judiciary and the military.

The current proposal follows the 26th constitutional amendment passed in October 2024, which gave parliament a formal role in appointing the chief justice and established a senior judges’ panel to hear constitutional cases, measures critics said weakened judicial independence.

Opposition lawmakers have warned the 27th amendment would undermine civilian oversight and provincial rights. Ruling party members have rejected this, arguing the changes clarify institutional roles and strengthen the federation.