ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s lower house of parliament on Wednesday passed the contentious 27th constitutional amendment seeking major changes in the country’s judicial and military command structure by a two-thirds majority required for constitutional changes, as opposition lawmakers staged a walkout in protest. 

The development takes place after Pakistan’s upper house of parliament, the Senate, passed the 27th constitutional amendment by a two-thirds majority on Monday. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar had tabled it in the lower house a day earlier. 

The amendment introduces changes to Article 243 of the constitution, creating a new post of the Chief of Defense Forces. It also abolishes the role of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC). This empowers the army chief to become the constitutionally recognized head of Pakistan’s armed services. 

It also calls for establishing a Constitutional Court, reducing the powers of the top court and introducing new procedures for the transfer of judges. Pakistan’s government argues the amendment will help reduce the backlog of cases and improve governance. The opposition argues it clips the powers of the judiciary. 

“Two hundred and thirty-four members cast their votes for Is, four members were nos. Consequently the bill is passed by the assembly by not less than the two-third of the membership of the assembly,” Speaker Ayaz Sadiq announced to loud applause. 

Former three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari attended the National Assembly session. 

Before voting took place, Tarar announced the government had introduced a set of new amendments to the bill. One of these amendments clarified that the post of the chief justice was not being abolished, adding that Justice Yahya Afridi will remain as the country’s top judge. 

Shortly after Tarar started speaking, opposition members started shouting slogans before staging a walkout in protest. Voting on the bill followed. 

Another amendment was made to Article 6 of the constitution, which relates to “high treason.” Tarar said previously, neither the Supreme Court nor a high court could ratify the abrogation of the constitution. He said the constitutional court was also added to this list.

The bill will now be sent back to the upper house or Senate for the new amendments to be debated upon again. If it sails through the Senate, the bill will then require the president’s assent to become law. 

The 27th amendment follows the 26th amendment of October 2024, which gave parliament a role in appointing the chief justice and created a senior judges’ panel to hear constitutional cases, measures that were also widely criticized as weakening judicial independence.