The Senate convened on Sunday to begin deliberations on the 27th Amendment Bill, as lawmakers debated over the proposed changes to the Constitution.
Senate Chairperson Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani presided over the proceedings, which began with a tribute to national poet Allama Iqbal on his birth anniversary.
Speaking on the floor of the House, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Ali Zafar reaffirmed his party’s strong opposition to the proposed amendment, warning that altering the Constitution was akin to “tampering with the foundation of a building”.
He likened the nation to a building, saying the government’s actions were “weakening its very foundation.”
The PTI leader expressed dismay over the pace at which the government was pushing for the proposed amendment, saying that constitutional amendments took a long time even when the country was “under dictatorships”.
Senator Zafar rejected the proposed amendment, which, according to him, was introduced by a parliament with no “genuine public support”.
“This so-called parliament does not have the authority to amend the Constitution,” he said.
The PTI leader criticised the proposed judicial reforms, warning they would reduce Supreme Court judges to the level of Supreme District and Sessions Court judges.
Senator Zafar cautioned that the proposed judicial appointment process could threaten the independence and impartiality of the judiciary.
Speaking on the floor of the upper house of parliament, PTI Senator Hamid Khan described the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment as an attempt to “bury the Constitution.”
Khan emphasised the importance of consensus before any change was brought forward.
Calling the 26th Amendment “the death of the Constitution,” he said that the 27th Amendment represented an effort to “bury it completely”.
“The 26th and 27th amendments are a matter of national shame,” he said, warning that if the judicial system collapsed, “citizens would have nowhere to go for their rights.”
Senator Khan asserted that those who vote in favour of the amendment “would not be able to justify their actions in history,” adding that the move has “destroyed the judicial system and distorted the Constitution”.
This is a developing story and is being updated with further details.
