- Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar to present bill in the Lower House of Parliament
- Senate passed bill with two-thirds majority amid opposition walkout and protests
ISLAMABAD: The government is set to table the controversial 27th Constitutional Amendment bill in tomorrow’s National Assembly session after it successfully sailed through the Senate on Monday, securing a two-thirds majority following the defection of two opposition members.
A notification from the NA Secretariat confirmed that Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar will formally present the bill, which has been the center of political debate for weeks. Today’s National Assembly session, however, was marred by ruckus from both treasury and opposition benches, leading to an early adjournment.
During the session, PPP MNA Raja Pervaiz Ashraf faced disruptions from the opposition as he addressed the house on presidential immunity, a measure he said was standard practice in many countries. Ashraf criticized opposition members for raising objections despite having violated constitutional norms themselves. PTI lawmakers responded with slogans of “Go Zardari go” and “Long live Imran Khan”, also mocking Ashraf as “Raja Rental.”
Following Ashraf, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl MNA Aliya Kamran questioned the need for haste, noting that all stakeholders had not been consulted. Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi also took the floor to pay tribute to the army chief and martyrs, emphasizing Pakistan’s resolve to fight terrorism, whether in Pakistan, Afghanistan, or elsewhere.
The Senate had earlier passed the bill after opposition benches staged a walkout, chanting slogans, tearing copies of the bill, and hurling them toward the law minister’s table. The joint meeting of the Senate and National Assembly’s law and justice committees had approved the bill with minor changes, though several proposals were deferred. These included the MQM’s suggestion to amend Article 140 related to local governments, ANP’s proposal to rename Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and BNP’s recommendation to increase Balochistan’s seats in Parliament.
The committees, chaired by Senator Farooq H. Naek, empowered the law minister and the committees to make minor amendments while agreeing that provinces would be taken into confidence on the proposed changes, particularly regarding KP’s name.
The 27th Constitutional Amendment bill, tabled in the Senate on Saturday after receiving federal cabinet approval, aims to set up a federal constitutional court and grant lifetime status to the field marshal rank, sparking heated debate across political lines.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, present during the committee meetings, confirmed that key amendments, including changes to Article 243 relating to the federal control of armed forces, were amicably approved by both committees, reflecting the government’s push to finalize the amendment swiftly.
