Pakistan's 27th Constitutional Amendment: Opposition Protests as Asim Munir Set to Become First Chief of Defence Forces

If the amendment receives approval, Asim Munir will become Pakistan's inaugural Chief of Defence Forces.

New Delhi:

Pakistan's opposition parties have scheduled nationwide protests beginning Sunday to oppose the government's initiative to pass the 27th Constitutional Amendment. This amendment proposes significant alterations to Article 243 and restructures the military's command hierarchy.

A key proposal within the amendment includes eliminating the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) position and establishing a new role called the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF). This change would enable current army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir to assume the position as the first CDF.

This proposal regarding Munir's promotion emerged after India conducted Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan-controlled territories. New Delhi's operation served as retaliation for the Pahalgam attack that occurred in April.

Additional proposals include establishing a Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) and modifying the appointment process for high court judges. The amendment also seeks to reduce the Pakistan Supreme Court's authority.

The opposition alliance Tehreek-e-Tahafuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP), led by imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has announced nationwide demonstrations against the constitutional amendment.

Criticizing the government's initiative, the TTAP stated that the amendment would undermine the Constitution's fundamental principles.

Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, leader of TTAP member organization Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM), declared, "Democratic institutions have been paralysed within Pakistan... the nation must step up against the (proposed) 27th Amendment."

Mahmood Khan Achakzai, chief of another alliance member, the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), announced that the protest slogan would be "Long live democracy, down with dictatorship."

Achakzai added that the demonstrations would demand the release of political prisoners and emphasized that the opposition alliance had no alternative but to protest against the government's amendment efforts.

According to Pakistani media reports, legal experts in the country remain divided regarding the government's amendment initiative.

Some experts believe the proposed changes to Article 243 would effectively subordinate the Supreme Court, transferring its position as the country's highest judicial authority to the FCC.

Supporters of the amendment argue that the FCC would modernize the judiciary, reduce case backlogs, and separate constitutional and appellate jurisdictions, thereby improving efficiency and clarity within the justice system.

Meanwhile, former Pakistan defence secretary Lieutenant General Asif Yasin Malik (Retd) told Dawn newspaper that "by placing an army chief (in this case Field Marshal Asim Munir) as the CDF with authority over the air force and navy, the proposed system invites institutional imbalance and potential disaster."

"This amendment appears tailored to benefit a specific individual rather than to strengthen the defence structure," Malik further commented.

(With inputs from agencies)