Petition filed in Supreme Court against proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment

ISLAMABAD: A constitutional petition has been filed in the Supreme Court against the government’s proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment.

The petition against the proposed constitutional amendment in the Supreme Court has been filed under Article 184(3), in which it has been taken as a stand that the powers of judicial review under Articles 184(3) and 199 are the basic pillars of the Constitution.

The petition further states that the powers of judicial review cannot be abolished, suspended, or replaced by a parallel system.

The purpose of the petition is to secure the jurisdiction of the higher courts before the 27th Amendment.

If the amendment is passed, the Supreme Court and the High Courts will not be able to hear constitutional matters.

The petition filed by senior lawyer Barrister Ali Tahir in the Supreme Court has taken the stand that the proposed amendment will paralyze the judicial system and make the courts ineffective.

The court has been requested to protect its jurisdiction and that of the High Courts.

The petition further states that other parts of the amendment may remain for later review, but judicial independence should not be affected. Protection of judicial authority is a universal democratic principle.

The petition against the proposed constitutional amendment also includes international judicial precedents.