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Pakistan Rejects UN Critique of 27th Amendment Reshaping Courts and Military

Islamabad says the 27th Amendment was lawfully passed by a two‑thirds Parliament within its sovereign remit.

Overview

  • Pakistan’s Foreign Office dismissed UN rights chief Volker Türk’s warning as biased and ungrounded, asserting the changes followed constitutional procedure.
  • The UN statement said the amendment erodes judicial independence and military accountability, citing lifetime immunity for the president and top five‑star ranks.
  • The law establishes a Federal Constitutional Court to handle constitutional matters, leaving the Supreme Court to civil and criminal cases.
  • Türk flagged altered systems for appointing, promoting and transferring judges, noting the first FCC chief justice and judges were assigned on the prime minister’s advice.
  • The reform also restructures command by abolishing the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and creating a Chief of Defence Forces, with Parliament passing the bill on Nov 13 after two‑thirds votes including a 64–4 Senate tally.