Pakistan’s parliament has passed a sweeping constitutional amendment that expands the powers of the military and sharply reduces the authority of the Supreme Court — a move critics warn will cause lasting damage to the country’s democracy.
The amendment elevates Army Chief Asim Munir to a new position, Chief of Defence Forces, giving him formal command over the army, navy, and air force. Munir will also retain his rank and receive lifetime legal immunity after his term ends.
The reform also strips the Supreme Court of its constitutional jurisdiction, shifting those cases to a newly created Federal Constitutional Court, whose judges will be appointed by the government. Analysts say this change undermines judicial independence and consolidates power in the hands of the ruling coalition and the military.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif defended the amendment as a step toward “institutional harmony,” but opposition lawmakers from Imran Khan’s PTI party walked out and denounced the move as a blow to democracy.
Legal experts called the reform a “death knell” for an independent judiciary, warning that the military’s already significant role in Pakistani politics now has even stronger constitutional backing.