Islamabad: The draft of the 27th Constitutional Amendment has been revealed, which proposes several major changes related to the country’s military and judicial system. According to the proposed amendments, the Army Chief, Naval Chief and Air Chief will now be appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister, while the post of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee will be abolished.
The bill also proposes that the Prime Minister will appoint the Commander National Strategic Command on the recommendation of the Chief of Defense Forces.
Similarly, Field Marshal, Marshal of the Air Force and Admiral of the Fleet will be given lifelong uniforms and privileges, and they will enjoy judicial immunity on the lines of the President.
If Parliament deems it appropriate, these positions can be abolished through impeachment.
The amendment also proposes the establishment of a new Federal Constitutional Court that will work with equal representation from all provinces. The judges of the court and the Chief Justice will be appointed by the President, while the court will have the power to review its decisions.
According to the amendment, Article 184, which deals with suo motu notice, will be deleted from the Constitution. The matter will now be referred to the Federal Constitutional Court instead of the Supreme Court for an opinion on the law.
The retirement age of the judges of the Constitutional Court has been fixed at 68 years, while the Chief Justice will retire after completing a three-year term. Moreover, the decisions of the court will be binding on all courts in the country, and the Judicial Commission will have the power to transfer judges of the High Court.
The amendment bill also includes a provision granting constitutional immunity to the President and the Governor from criminal cases, and no court will have the power to arrest or send them to jail.
