November 19, 2025
By Rana Malhi
ISLAMABAD
The 27th Constitutional Amendment is a deliberate attempt to weaken judicial independence and restrict public rights, said Islamabad’s Aurat March protesters who held a demonstration outside the National Press Club on Wednesday. The demonstration drew women, men and members of civil society members who gathered to voice concern that the amendment would fundamentally alter the balance of power in ways that could undermine constitutional protections.
According to the organizers, the proposed amendment represented far more than a routine legal change. They said it was part of a systematic effort to centralize control, limit the role of the judiciary, and create space for greater executive influence over constitutional matters. Participants argued that instead of strengthening governance, the amendment threatened to dilute the safeguards that protect citizens from state overreach.
They noted that one of the most troubling aspects of the amendment is the abolition of the Supreme Court’s suo motu jurisdiction. They said the suo moto power has throughout time only been used to address urgent violations of rights, hold state institutions accountable, and intervene when justice is at risk. Taking this authority away, they argued, was a direct intrusion into judicial independence. According to them, shifting fundamental rights cases to a forum already seen as susceptible to government pressure would erode public trust and compromise the country’s democratic framework.
Senior journalist and HRCP co-chairperson Munizae Jahangir addressed the protest with a detailed critique of the judiciary’s past decisions. She said Pakistan’s judicial history shows a pattern of siding with military rulers instead of defending citizens’ rights. Recalling her mother Asma Jahangir’s petition against military courts, she highlighted the argument that the Supreme Court, as the guardian of fundamental rights, cannot be stripped of its independence by legislation. She stressed that basic rights form the foundation of the legal system, and therefore no parliament has the authority to pass laws that disrupt the separation of powers.
Munizae said it was important to revisit how the courts themselves weakened their authority during the 2015 and 2017 cases involving military courts. She explained that by allowing military courts to try civilians, the judiciary effectively handed over jurisdiction that should have remained within its own control. Had the courts acted differently at the time, she suggested, the current situation might not have arisen. She warned that the consequences of surrendering judicial power are now evident, and that the 27th Amendment would take away citizens’ fundamental rights on a permanent basis by placing them under executive control.
She added that the amendment would also give decision-making power in constitutional cases to the ruling party, which could influence the selection, posting and transfer of judges. This, she argued, leaves little room for citizens to expect fair outcomes when the bench is shaped by those directly involved in the cases. Munizae urged politicians to reflect on the long-term impact instead of focusing on immediate political interests. She said that if lawmakers allow their authority to be undermined, they may one day find themselves in the same position as the judiciary is now.
Aurat March organizer Fatima Atif also spoke, saying the amendment was never intended to benefit the public. She said the changes were designed to protect influential actors within military and judicial circles by giving them immunity in legal matters and ensuring permanent privileges for themselves. Fatima argued that laws exist to safeguard people’s lives, property and rights, not to secure the positions of those in power.
Rights activist Aaliya Ameer Ali added that Pakistan already has a system where the elite enjoy informal exemption, while the welfare of marginalized groups is rarely prioritized. She said the amendment would widen this gap instead of addressing the challenges faced by those with limited access to justice.
At the end of the demonstration, Aurat March organizers demanded the immediate withdrawal of the 27th Amendment. They called for transparency in all legislative processes relating to judicial independence, arguing that lifetime immunity for any officeholder creates a barrier to justice. They said such measures weaken accountability and undermine the principles that are essential for a fair and democratic society.