Pakistan’s parliament on Wednesday passed a constitutional amendment granting sweeping new powers to the military chief and curbing the authority of the Supreme Court.
Under the amendment, Army Chief Asim Munir will assume the newly created role of Chief of Defence Forces, giving him formal command over the army, navy, and air force, Reuters reported. The legislation also ensures that Munir will retain his rank and enjoy lifelong legal immunity even after his term ends.
The bill, passed with a two-thirds majority during a raucous session, marks one of the most sweeping constitutional overhauls in years. It was introduced by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar a day after the Senate approved it.
Despite fierce objections from Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which boycotted proceedings and tore up copies of the bill, the amendment sailed through with 234 votes in favour and just four against.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari attended the session as Speaker Ayaz Sadiq announced the result. The bill now awaits President Asif Ali Zardari’s assent, expected later tonight.
Under the new law, the President will appoint both the Army Chief and the Chief of Defence Forces on the Prime Minister’s advice, while the post of Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee will be abolished in November 2025.
The Chief of Defence Forces — a new apex military position — will oversee all three services, effectively making the Army Chief the supreme commander of Pakistan’s armed forces. The government will also be able to elevate officers to lifetime honorary ranks such as Field Marshal, Marshal of the Air Force, and Admiral of the Fleet.
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In addition to the defence reforms, the amendment establishes a Federal Constitutional Court to interpret constitutional matters, while the Supreme Court will retain jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases.
Law Minister Tarar defended the amendment as an “evolutionary process” carried out with “careful deliberation and broad consultation” with legal bodies nationwide.
However, opposition members denounced it as an authoritarian move to expand military influence and weaken judicial independence. PTI chairperson Gohar Ali Khan accused the government of “creating another elite class” and warned that with the bill’s passage, “democracy will exist only in name.”
The opposition alliance, Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), had vowed mass protests but has so far confined its resistance to parliamentary dissent and public statements.
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If signed into law, the 27th Amendment will formalise a powerful new military structure and permanently reshape Pakistan’s balance between civilian governance, the judiciary, and the armed forces.
