Overview
- Joint committees of the Senate and National Assembly approved the draft after clause-by-clause review, endorsing changes to Article 243 and signing off on 49 tweaks.
- The proposal abolishes the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and creates a Chief of Defence Forces, with the army chief slated to assume the new role from November 27, 2025, according to the draft.
- The bill establishes a Federal Constitutional Court and shifts some authorities from the Supreme Court, and the panel backed lifetime criminal immunity for the president.
- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the immediate withdrawal of a separate proposal to grant the premier immunity, and the National Assembly speaker opposed exemptions for his office.
- The TTAP opposition alliance boycotted the committee and launched nationwide protests, pledging to block Parliament and mark a ‘Black Day’ after any approval, as the government prepares to present the draft in the Senate on Monday with some coalition proposals still under review.