Overview
- Senior lawyer Barrister Ali Tahir filed a petition at the Supreme Court’s Karachi Registry seeking restraint against any amendment curtailing Articles 184(3) and 199, arguing reported plans for new constitutional courts would erode judicial independence.
- The PPP’s Central Executive Committee pledged support only for a tweak to Article 243 and for the principle of constitutional courts and judge-transfer reforms with safeguards, rejecting changes to the NFC protections, dual citizenship rules, executive magistrates and the CEC appointment process.
- The federal cabinet delayed its meeting to approve the draft and the bill was not presented in the Senate on Friday, as the government continued negotiations to secure the two‑thirds supermajority required in the upper house.
- Reported draft features include reworking military command under Article 243 with a potential new Commander of Defence Forces post, creation of a Federal Constitutional Court and proposals that would shift or limit superior courts’ jurisdiction, which officials have not formally released.
- JUI-F warned against any reduction in provincial powers and said a democracy‑weakening change to Article 243 would be unacceptable, while PTI and legal groups criticised the package as undermining judicial review.