PM Shehbaz rejects immunity amendment amid 27th Constitutional Reforms

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif has opposed the immediate withdrawal of an amendment tabled by his party’s lawmakers seeking to grant immunity to the prime minister.

The development comes a day after the federal government introduced the 27th Constitutional Amendment in the Senate, proposing major changes to Pakistan’s judicial system and military command structure.

The cabinet-approved draft has already been sent to the Senate’s Standing Committee on Law and Justice. On his return, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif revealed that some party senators had submitted a controversial immunity amendment. While he acknowledged the good intentions behind it, he clarified that such provisions were not part of the cabinet-approved official draft and demanded its immediate withdrawal.

In a statement, the prime minister said that an elected prime minister should be fully accountable to both the law and the people, “emphasizing transparency and accountability.”

The proposed 27th Amendment contains some of the most ambitious reforms in recent years. It calls for the establishment of a Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), which would assume some of the powers currently held by the Supreme Court. The amendment also proposes major changes to judicial appointments and transfers, placing the president and prime minister at the center of the process, while giving parliament the power to determine the number of FCC judges.

The military command structure is also set for a historic change. The amendment introduces a new position, the Chief of Defence Forces, who will become the head of the armed forces from November 27, 2025. The current army chief will move into this newly created role, reshaping the leadership hierarchy of Pakistan’s military.