ISLAMABAD — The joint parliamentary committee on law and justice, comprising members of the Senate and National Assembly, has approved the draft of the 27th Constitutional Amendment. The proposed amendment will now be presented in the Senate as a formal report on Monday.
The meeting, jointly chaired by Senator Farooq H. Naek and Mahmood Bashir Virk, was attended by Senator Tahir Khalil Sindhu, Senator Hidayatullah, Senator Shahadat Awan, Senator Zamir Hussain Ghumro, Ali Haider Gilani, Saira Afzal Tarar, Bilal Azhar Kayani, Syed Naveed Qamar, and Abrar Shah, along with officials from the Ministry of Law and Justice.
Opposition parties, including PTI, JUI-F, PKMAP, and MWM, boycotted the session. During the meeting, detailed discussions were held on Article 243 and the establishment of constitutional courts — both of which were approved by the committee.
The amendment also extends the duration for deciding pending cases from six months to one year, and any case not pursued within a year will be considered disposed of.
Sources said some allied parties’ proposed changes remain undecided. The government sought more time to review ANP’s proposal to rename Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and a suggestion to increase the number of provincial assembly seats in Balochistan. However, consensus was reached on MQM’s amendment to ensure funding for local government representatives.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz withdrew its earlier proposal seeking legal immunity for the prime minister, following Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s instructions. Committee Chairman Farooq H. Naek lauded the decision.
Members of the committee expressed regret over the opposition’s absence, calling their non-participation “disappointing” and a missed opportunity for constructive debate.
Farooq H. Naek emphasized that every political party has the right to express its views, saying, “The committee has approved the basic draft and authorized me and the law minister to finalize some pending clauses.”
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar urged all parliamentary parties to exercise their right to vote responsibly. The Senate is expected to take up the 27th Amendment Bill for approval on Thursday.
