27th Constitutional Amendment

Lieutenant General Aamer Raza, chief of general staff of the Pakistan Army, was promoted to four-star general and appointed Commander National Strategic Command (CNSC) by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The CNSC role was established under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, which restructured military command and transferred nuclear management responsibilities from the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Field Marshal Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff, was appointed as the first Chief of Defence Forces under the same amendment.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan reserved its ruling on a jurisdictional dispute between itself and the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) over authority to hear bail applications in pending National Accountability Bureau (NAB) appeals. The court is examining whether bail applications fall under the FCC's jurisdiction per the 27th Constitutional Amendment or remain under the Supreme Court's purview under Section 32 of the NAB law.

A report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and the International Federation for Human Rights highlights systemic corruption in Pakistan's justice system, including favoritism, nepotism, and state capture of the judiciary. The report criticizes the 26th and 27th constitutional amendments for undermining judicial independence and calls for reforms to address corruption risks.

The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) has formed interview committees to vet candidates for high court judge appointments without including any Supreme Court judges. The panels, chaired by Federal Constitutional Court judges, include high court chief justices, the attorney general, senators, and a bar association representative for four high courts.

The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) has initiated a process to fill 10 vacant additional judge positions in the Lahore High Court. The commission approved new interview rules and established a seven-member panel to evaluate candidates, following the 27th Constitutional Amendment that expanded the JCP's authority to set judicial appointment criteria.

Pakistan’s parliament is criticized for low attendance and rubber-stamping government actions, with reports showing only 20% of members attending all sittings in May. Constitutional amendments, including the 26th and 27th, were passed with minimal debate and transparency, undermining judicial independence and parliamentary authority.