ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered the immediate withdrawal of a proposed clause in the 27th Constitutional Amendment that sought to grant legal immunity to the office of the Prime Minister.
In a statement posted on X, the premier emphasized that elected leaders must remain accountable to both the judiciary and the public.
“Upon my return from Azerbaijan, I was informed that some of our party’s Senators had moved an amendment proposing immunity for the Prime Minister. Although the move was well-intentioned, it was not part of the Cabinet-approved version of the amendment. I have directed that it be withdrawn without delay,” Shehbaz stated.
Meanwhile, the federal government is considering a separate proposal to provide lifetime immunity to the President from criminal proceedings under the same amendment. The suggestion involves changes to Article 248 of the Constitution, which previously granted the President full exemption from criminal prosecution.
Earlier in the day, a brief federal cabinet meeting was held in Islamabad, chaired by the Prime Minister via video link from Baku, Azerbaijan, where he is on an official visit alongside Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.
Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan presented a detailed briefing on the proposed amendment package. The cabinet also reviewed the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) recommendations concerning constitutional revisions.
After deliberation, the cabinet gave formal approval to the 27th Amendment draft. The meeting, initially planned for Friday, had been postponed following PPP’s objections to several key provisions of the amendment.
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