Pakistan’s political and legal landscape has been thrust into turmoil following the government’s introduction of the 27th Constitutional Amendment—a sweeping proposal that promises to fundamentally reshape both the country’s military command structure and its highest courts. The move, tabled in the Senate on Saturday, December 6, 2025, after approval by the federal cabinet, has ignited fierce debate in Islamabad and beyond, pitting government supporters against a coalition of lawyers, politicians, and civil society groups who warn of dire consequences for democracy and the rule of law.
At the heart of the amendment lies a dramatic restructuring of Article 243 of Pakistan’s Constitution. According to Dawn, the bill creates a powerful new position: Chief of Defence Forces (CDF). This post, to be held by the serving Chief of Army Staff, would elevate General Asim Munir—already awarded the title of Field Marshal—to a level of authority unprecedented in Pakistan’s history. As CDF, Munir would become the constitutionally recognized head of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, consolidating command over all three branches.
The amendment also spells the end for one of the military’s most established offices. Effective November 27, 2025, when the current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, steps down, the position will be abolished. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar told Parliament that no new appointment would be made, as the Army Chief would assume all functions of the CJCSC as the newly minted Chief of Defence Forces. This means General Munir will simultaneously serve as Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Defence Forces, and the nation’s senior-most uniformed authority across all services.
But the changes do not stop there. The President will appoint the Army, Naval, and Air Chiefs on the Prime Minister’s advice, further formalizing the CDF’s overarching command. A new role, Commander of the National Strategic Command, is introduced to oversee Pakistan’s nuclear and strategic arsenal. This commander must be an Army officer, appointed by the Prime Minister on the CDF’s recommendation, a move that further cements the Army Chief’s control over the country’s nuclear command authority.
The bill also grants unprecedented privileges to officers who attain five-star ranks such as Field Marshal, Marshal of the Air Force, or Admiral of the Fleet. These officers will retain their uniform, rank, and privileges for life, be assigned post-retirement responsibilities by the government, and enjoy constitutional immunity akin to that of the President. They can only be removed through a parliamentary process similar to impeachment. Law Minister Tarar clarified that it would be Parliament—not the Prime Minister—that holds the authority to revoke such titles.
Perhaps equally consequential is the amendment’s overhaul of Pakistan’s judicial system. According to Geo News, the proposal establishes a Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), a powerful new judicial body tasked with handling constitutional interpretation, government disputes, and matters arising from Article 199. The FCC, with judges appointed through the combined involvement of the President, Prime Minister, and Parliament, will feature equal provincial representation and be led by a Chief Justice serving a three-year term. The Supreme Court’s jurisdiction would be significantly reduced, with constitutional matters shifting to the FCC.
Legal experts quoted by Dawn have sounded the alarm, warning that these changes could “dethrone” the Supreme Court as the nation’s top judicial authority. One senior counsel described the risk of the Supreme Court becoming a “Supreme District Court,” relegated to handling mostly ordinary appeals while constitutional issues move to the new FCC. Former additional attorney general Tariq Mehmood Khokhar argued that the amendment “tightens executive control over the judiciary and empowers the FCC by disempowering the Supreme Court.” Yet, not all voices are critical—some senior lawyers see the reforms as “forward-looking,” arguing that separating constitutional and appellate functions could reduce delays, depoliticize the Supreme Court, and align Pakistan’s judiciary with models in other democracies.
The timing of the bill has only added fuel to the fire. It comes months after General Munir’s elevation to Field Marshal and amid delicate coalition negotiations. Dawn reported that the proposal surfaced after Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari revealed that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, had requested PPP support for constitutional reforms. Government allies maintain that the reform simply formalizes existing military structures and honors national heroes, while critics see it as permanently rebalancing power in favor of the Army.
On the same day the amendment was tabled in the Senate, a major lawyers’ convention in Lahore—jointly organized by the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) and the Lahore Bar Association (LBA)—issued a categorical rejection of both the 26th and 27th constitutional amendments. According to Dawn, the convention adopted a resolution condemning the amendments as “defacing the constitution” and “destroying the institution of the judiciary in Pakistan.” The proposed Federal Constitutional Court was singled out for particular criticism, labeled “unconstitutional” and a “murder” of the judiciary.
The lawyers’ resolution went further, condemning a recent press conference by the Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) for “attacking political leaders, patriots and national heroes like Imran Khan,” calling it a “shameful attempt to drag the armed forces into politics and unbecoming of a military general.” The convention demanded the immediate release of detained political figures—including Imran Khan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Maharang Baloch, and Yasmin Rashid—arguing that their detention violates fundamental rights such as the right to life, liberty, equality, a fair trial, and due process.
Further demands included calls for future bar council and association elections, including those of the Supreme Court Bar Association, to be held through biometric verification to prevent alleged rigging. The resolution also condemned provincial bar council members for allegedly “selling their votes” ahead of the Pakistan Bar Council election and rejected the Punjab Protection of Property Ordinance 2025 as unconstitutional and a violation of citizens’ fundamental rights.
Prominent speakers at the convention included Senator Hamid Khan, PTI secretary general Salman Akram Raja, Ali Ahmad Kurd, Haseeb Jamali, Salahuddin, Rabbiya Bajwa, LHCBA president Asif Nissoana, LBA president Mubashir Rehman, and Mahmood Ashraf, reflecting the breadth of opposition to the government’s proposals within the legal community.
As the bill moves through Pakistan’s legislative process, the country stands at a crossroads. If adopted, the 27th Constitutional Amendment will mark one of the most consequential reforms to Pakistan’s defence and judicial systems since the 1980s, dissolving longstanding military offices, raising the Army Chief to unprecedented constitutional supremacy, and reshaping the nation’s highest courts. The outcome of this political storm will have lasting consequences for the balance of power between Pakistan’s military, judiciary, and civilian government.
