ISLAMABAD: The Senate has approved the amended 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill 2025 with a two-thirds majority, despite strong opposition protests.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar reintroduced the bill in the upper house today after it was initially passed by the Senate earlier in the week and later cleared by the National Assembly with amendments. Now revised, the bill returned to the Senate for its final consideration.
During the session, PTI Senator Ali Zafar raised concerns about the process, noting that this was the second vote on the amendment in the Senate, which required at least 64 votes for passage. He also highlighted that during the initial vote, PTI’s Saifullah Abro and a JUI-F senator had supported the amendment, going against their respective parties’ official positions.
The amendment brings substantial changes to constitutional and judicial provisions, making it one of the most significant legislative reforms in recent times.
In parallel with the Senate session, the federal cabinet convened a meeting later in the afternoon. The cabinet is set to approve adjustments to existing laws to align with the newly passed constitutional changes.
The National Assembly gave its nod to the amendment yesterday with a two-thirds majority. The session witnessed intense opposition protests, with members ripping up copies of the bill, staging demonstrations at the Speaker’s dais, and ultimately boycotting. Nonetheless, the government secured 234 votes in favor comfortably surpassing the required 224. However, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) voted against it.
The amendment includes eight key provisions, notably revising Clause 2 of Article 6. Under its new language, acts of high treason cannot be legitimized by any court, and the term “constitutional court” has been introduced alongside existing references to the High Court and Supreme Court.
Additionally, the amendment clarifies that the current Chief Justice will retain their title until their term ends. Following this, the most senior judge between the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the Chief Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court will assume the position.
