Senate approved the revised 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill

The Senate approved the revised 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill 2025 on Thursday, with a two-thirds majority amid uproar from opposition members.

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar reintroduced the bill in the upper house today after it was initially passed by the Senate on Monday and later approved by the National Assembly with amendments. The revised version has now returned to the Senate for final consideration.

Soon after Tarar presented the bill, PTI Senator Ali Zafar pointed out that the house was voting on the amendment for a second time, requiring a two-thirds majority — at least 64 votes — for passage.

He also noted that during the first vote, PTI’s Saifullah Abro and a JUI-F senator had supported the amendment against their party stance.

The amendment, which introduces significant constitutional and judicial changes, marks one of the most notable legislative developments in recent months.

In addition to the Senate session, a meeting of the federal cabinet has also been convened this afternoon. The cabinet is expected to approve corresponding changes in the existing laws in light of the newly introduced constitutional amendments.

The National Assembly approved the 27th Amendment yesterday with a two-thirds majority. The opposition benches strongly protested the move, tearing up copies of the bill and staging a demonstration in front of the Speaker’s dais before boycotting the proceedings. Despite the protest, the government had sufficient numbers, with 234 members voting in favor — well above the 224 votes required for passage. The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F), however, voted against the bill.

The amendment introduces eight new provisions, including a major revision to Clause 2 of Article 6. Under the new wording, acts of high treason cannot be validated by any court, and the phrase “constitutional court” has been added alongside the High Court and Supreme Court.

Furthermore, the amendment clarifies that the current Chief Justice will retain the title of Chief Justice of Pakistan until the end of his tenure. Afterward, the senior-most judge among the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the Chief Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court will assume the position.