Constitutional Amendment Bill entrenches millitary supremacy and threatens civic space

Event Summary

On 12 November 2025, Pakistan’s National Assembly passed the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill. The 27th Amendment marks one of the most sweeping constitutional reform packages proposed in Pakistan in decades. At its core, the amendment targets three major pillars of the state: 

1. Military: The amendment revises Article 243 of the Constitution of Pakistan, abolishing the longstanding post of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) and replacing it with a new position of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) to be held by the serving Chief of Army Staff. This change formally consolidates control over the Army, Navy and Air Force under one constitutional office, limiting civilian oversight. It also introduces lifetime ranks and privileges for senior officers.
2. Judiciary: The amendment proposes to establish a new Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), which would be empowered to handle constitutional questions and federal-provincial disputes, thereby curtailing the jurisdiction of the existing Supreme Court of Pakistan on such matters. The amendment also introduces mechanisms for judge transfers and enhanced executive involvement in the appointment/transfer of judges, elements that legal analysts say pose risks to judicial independence.
3. Federal-provincial relations: The draft amendment indicates a potential shift in revenue-sharing arrangements and a possible weakening of the devolved powers provinces gained via the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan in 2010, including provincial level social protection and local government reform.

The 27th Constitutional Amendment is having profound implications for Pakistan’s enabling environment particularly for democracy, human rights, and civic participation. While the government frames the package as necessary for modernizing governance, strengthening national security, and resolving institutional gridlock, critics argue that the amendment amounts to a power-grab: centralising military authority under one office, reducing civilian oversight; diluting judicial checks and balances; and rolling back provincial autonomy.

The 27th Amendment’s introduction coincides with an overall expansion of the military’s role in policymaking, security operations, and governance oversight, raising concerns about shrinking civic space, reduced civilian oversight, and judicial capture. With courts potentially less independent and provinces less empowered, advocacy groups may find fewer avenues to seek justice, influence policymaking, or hold duty bearers accountable. This particularly affects marginalized communities such as women, minority groups, and victims of gender-based violence whose access to justice often relies on constitutional petitions and provincial interventions. Furthermore, the centralization of power could tighten control over NGOs, public dissent, and media, leading to a more constrained civic environment.