Pakistan once again stands at a constitutional crossroads. After days of secret backroom negotiations, the 27th Constitutional Amendment presented in the Senate appears less an act of reform and more a calculated move to tighten political control over the judiciary and the balance of power.

The amendment proposes the creation of a Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), with an increased retirement age for its judges. More concerningly, high court judges could be transferred against their will, and forcibly retired if they refuse. The first Chief Justice of this new court would be appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister. These may sound like routine administrative adjustments, but in essence, they represent a systematic effort to reshape the judiciary to serve political ends.

Changes to Article 243 further reveal the real intent. The post of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee is to be abolished, the Chief of Army Staff would become the Chief of Defence Forces, and Field Marshals are to be granted their rank and uniform for life. Such privileges have no place in a democratic republic and certainly none in an Islamic framework where no individual, ruler, or general has ever been placed above accountability.

This is happening in the shadow of the disputed 2024 elections, widely condemned by domestic and international observers alike. Reports of rigging were silenced, and organizations exposing irregularities were harassed or shut down. When such a parliament, lacking public legitimacy, moves to alter the Constitution, one must ask: is this amendment meant to serve the people, or to cement a regime built on manipulation?

The recent pattern of judicial interference is no coincidence. Seniority has been ignored in key appointments, handpicked judges have been placed on constitutional benches, and rulings favoring the government have become increasingly common. The judiciary, once the guardian of constitutional balance, is now being turned into an instrument of political convenience.

The 27th Amendment aims to reward and control, to extend tenure and privileges to compliant judges while sidelining or retiring those who dare to act independently. The so-called “reforms” are merely tools to weaken the courts from within, turning justice into submission.

This is not just a legal debate; it is a question of national survival. When parliament loses its representative character and the judiciary loses its independence, the Constitution becomes nothing more than paper. History teaches that nations endure not by force, but by justice.

If there remains even one lawmaker with conscience and courage, this is the moment to act. For silence today will be remembered as complicity tomorrow, and history will not forgive those who watched quietly as the Constitution of Pakistan was stripped of its soul.