President Asif Ali Zardari. Photo: PID
President Asif Ali Zardari signed the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill into law on Thursday, following its approval by both houses of parliament. With the assent of the President, the Bill has now formally become part of the Constitution of Pakistan, a press release from the President stated.
The approval came hours after the Senate approved the amendment bill after voting on it for the second time amid opposition protest. The Senate revised the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2025, previously passed by the National Assembly, by omitting five clauses and relisting and amending three out of a total of 59 before its passage.
Announcing the result, Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani said 64 votes had been cast in favor of the bill and four against it. “So the motion is carried by the votes of not less than two-thirds of the total membership of the Senate, and accordingly the bill is passed.”
The bill, introduced by Law and Justice Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, was passed through a two-way divisional and clause-by-clause voting process.
The revisions included the removal of clauses 4, 19, 22, 51 and 55, while clause 53 and its sub-clauses were reinstated and amended as part of the Upper House’s efforts to reshape the legislation.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member Syed Ali Zafar and Jamait Ulama–e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F’s) Kamran Murtaza opposed the bill, arguing that two defecting members of their parties had already announced resignations and were therefore not eligible to cast their votes.
Responding to the opposition members, Law and Justice Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar acknowledged the legal expertise of the opposing senators but stressed that the interpretation of Article 63-A must remain confined to the Constitution.
He clarified that party referrals against members are only allowed in three cases: voting against party direction in the election of Prime Minister or CM, a vote of no confidence or on the budget/finance bill or a constitutional amendment.
The Minister of Law clarified that, according to the constitution, a party leader can make a statement against a member, which is then sent by the chairman to the electoral commission for hearing, with the right of appeal directly to the Supreme Court. He emphasized that no member is disqualified simply because of disagreement with a vote, and warned that constitutional provisions must not be twisted for political point-scoring.
The minister clarified that the declaration, hearing and final decision under Article 63 A rests with the Electoral Commission and until the process is completed, the member continues to legally remain part of the House. Reiterating that constitutional obligations must be upheld in letter and spirit, the minister warned that parliamentary traditions should not be undermined through selective interpretations.
Leader of the House Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar informed the Senate that the amendments returned by the National Assembly to the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill represented “corrections and clarifications”.
Addressing objections, he acknowledged Senator Ali Zafar’s legal expertise but stressed that political and constitutional history must be considered in full, pointing out that those now raising procedural concerns had previously “overruled rules for minutes” during a no-confidence vote, adding that “no wrong can make a right.”
Dar noted that seven of the eight returned amendments were technical, while a major amendment strengthened Article 6 to prevent any court, including the proposed Federal Constitutional Court, Supreme Court or Supreme Court, from validating the abrogation or subversion of the Constitution.
