Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Pakistan Enacts 27th Amendment as Two Supreme Court Justices Quit in Protest

The government is advancing implementing laws to launch a Federal Constitutional Court, with a leadership pick reported as imminent.

Overview

  • The federal cabinet approved amendments to the Army, Air Force and Navy Acts and cleared a Federal Constitutional Court procedures bill to align statutes with the new constitutional framework.
  • The service-law changes include ending the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff post after the incumbent’s retirement and introducing top-rank designations consistent with revised defense structures.
  • Supreme Court Justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Athar Minallah resigned, calling the 27th amendment a grave blow to the Constitution and to judicial independence.
  • Justice Salahuddin Panhwar asked the chief justice to convene a full-court review, warning the amendment could upset the balance of powers and erode judicial autonomy.
  • News reports say Justice Aminuddin may be named to lead the Federal Constitutional Court, with a formal notification possibly to follow soon.