Joint Parliamentary Committee Approves Proposed Amendment on Appointment of Armed Forces Chiefs

**Islamabad (Qudrat Daily)** – The Joint Parliamentary Committee has approved the proposed draft of the **27th Constitutional Amendment**, which includes provisions related to the **appointment of chiefs of the armed forces** as well as several other constitutional reforms.

The committee’s meeting, chaired by **Senator Farooq H. Naek** of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), was held in **Committee Room No. 5 of the Parliament House**. The session was attended by **Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar**, **Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani**, **Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan**, **PPP leader Naveed Qamar**, and other members including **Manzoor Kakar, Hidayatullah, Bashir Ahmad Virk, Ali Haider Gilani, Tahir Khalil Sindhu, Saira Afzal Tarar**, and **Senator Shahadat Awan**.

During the meeting, the committee completed consultations on the establishment of a **constitutional court** and deliberated on **Articles 243, 200, and 248**. The **proposed draft of the 27th Amendment** was formally approved.

Senator Farooq Naek stated that all clauses would be finalized after reviewing the opinions of all political parties. He emphasized that each party has the right to express its stance, and decisions will be made based on the majority’s consensus.

The **JUI-F, PTI, MWM**, and **PkMAP** did not attend the meeting, as opposition parties had boycotted the session a day earlier. Sources confirmed that consultations on **Articles 175-A to 175-L** (covering 12 constitutional clauses) have been completed, including discussions on the **restructuring of the Supreme Judicial Council and Supreme Judicial Commission**, as well as the **number of advisers to the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers**.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister **Ishaq Dar** attended the session briefly, staying for about ten minutes. During the proceedings, the **PML-N withdrew its proposal for the Prime Minister’s immunity clause**, following the PM’s direction. Law Minister **Azam Nazeer Tarar** confirmed that **85% of the committee’s work has been completed**, and the final draft is expected to be ready by evening.

The committee also approved **amendments to Article 200** concerning the **transfer of judges**. According to the proposed changes:

* The **President** may transfer a High Court judge on the **recommendation of the Judicial Commission**.
* The **transfer authority** will rest with the **Supreme Judicial Commission**, and **Chief Justices of High Courts cannot be transferred**.
* No judge senior to another court’s Chief Justice will be transferred.
* A judge refusing transfer will be considered **retired** but will receive **pension and benefits** for a specified period.
* Judges declining appointment to the **Federal Constitutional Court** will also be deemed retired.

The committee further **approved the proposed amendment to Article 243** concerning the **appointment of the chiefs of the armed forces**. However, the government sought additional time to review **ANP’s proposed amendment** and **MQM’s proposals** regarding local government elections.

In total, the **Joint Parliamentary Committee approved 49 proposed amendments** included in the draft of the **27th Constitutional Amendment**. The **final draft** is expected to be **presented in the Senate for approval** in tomorrow’s session.