Pakistan's parliament has passed a contentious constitutional amendment that grants its powerful army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, sweeping new powers and lifetime immunity from prosecution. The move has sparked widespread criticism, with many labeling it a "funeral for democracy".
The 27th constitutional amendment, which was approved by the lower house of parliament on Wednesday, will give Munir unprecedented authority as the newly created chief of defence forces. He will oversee not only the army but also the navy and air force, with significant autonomy to make key decisions.
Munir's new role comes with a lifetime guarantee of immunity from criminal prosecution, which critics say undermines the principle of civilian supremacy and places him above reproach. This development has been condemned by experts, who argue that it will erode the independence of Pakistan's judiciary and further entrench authoritarianism in the country.
The amendment also sets up a new federal constitutional court above the existing supreme court, where judges will be selected by the executive. This move is seen as an attempt to undermine the powers of the judiciary and reduce accountability processes.
Opponents have described the legislation as an effort to institutionalize military rule and push Pakistan towards authoritarianism. The move has sparked widespread outrage among civil society activists, lawyers, and opposition parties, who claim that there was a lack of meaningful debate or engagement with key stakeholders before the amendment was passed.
The passage of this constitutional amendment is a worrying development for democracy in Pakistan. With Pakistan having spent decades under military rule since its establishment in 1947, this latest move has raised concerns about the country's fragile democratic institutions and the concentration of power in the hands of the army.
In a surprise to many analysts, the ruling coalition government justified the amendment as a way to modernize and streamline the military and judiciary. However, critics say that this is just a smokescreen for an attempt to consolidate power in the hands of the powerful military establishment.
The implications of this constitutional change are far-reaching and will have significant consequences for Pakistan's democracy and human rights. As one constitutional lawyer pointed out, the amendment "completely destroys any notion of independence in the judiciary" and sets the country on a path towards authoritarianism.
The 27th constitutional amendment, which was approved by the lower house of parliament on Wednesday, will give Munir unprecedented authority as the newly created chief of defence forces. He will oversee not only the army but also the navy and air force, with significant autonomy to make key decisions.
Munir's new role comes with a lifetime guarantee of immunity from criminal prosecution, which critics say undermines the principle of civilian supremacy and places him above reproach. This development has been condemned by experts, who argue that it will erode the independence of Pakistan's judiciary and further entrench authoritarianism in the country.
The amendment also sets up a new federal constitutional court above the existing supreme court, where judges will be selected by the executive. This move is seen as an attempt to undermine the powers of the judiciary and reduce accountability processes.
Opponents have described the legislation as an effort to institutionalize military rule and push Pakistan towards authoritarianism. The move has sparked widespread outrage among civil society activists, lawyers, and opposition parties, who claim that there was a lack of meaningful debate or engagement with key stakeholders before the amendment was passed.
The passage of this constitutional amendment is a worrying development for democracy in Pakistan. With Pakistan having spent decades under military rule since its establishment in 1947, this latest move has raised concerns about the country's fragile democratic institutions and the concentration of power in the hands of the army.
In a surprise to many analysts, the ruling coalition government justified the amendment as a way to modernize and streamline the military and judiciary. However, critics say that this is just a smokescreen for an attempt to consolidate power in the hands of the powerful military establishment.
The implications of this constitutional change are far-reaching and will have significant consequences for Pakistan's democracy and human rights. As one constitutional lawyer pointed out, the amendment "completely destroys any notion of independence in the judiciary" and sets the country on a path towards authoritarianism.
I'm not convinced that this is as bad as everyone's making it out to be. I mean, think about it - Pakistan needs someone with Asim Munir's experience and expertise at the helm. The army's always been a stabilizing force in the country, you know? 
And yeah, he's got lifetime immunity from prosecution, but that just means he can focus on what really matters: keeping Pakistan safe. 
The judges who are worried about this new federal constitutional court being stacked with the executive's hand-picked nominees are just too caught up in their own agendas to see the bigger picture. 
It's all about balance, you know? The military needs to have some teeth, and Munir's got that. This amendment might be a bit of a power grab, but it's not like he's going to abuse his authority or anything... I'm sure he'll be a total reformer once he gets in there 
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This is super worrying for Pakistans future! I mean, can u imagine some army chief above the law? 
It's like they're trying to create a dictatorship or something. The fact that judges will be picked by the exec is also crazy - what about the people's rights then? 
I've been following this story and it's just getting more and more alarming by the day. The government saying it's all about "modernizing" and "streamlining" is just a load of rubbish. It's just power grab by the military. 
I'm really hoping that something like this doesn't get passed in my own country... 
pakistan has been trying to establish democracy for decades but it looks like they're taking a huge step back now. giving the army chief lifetime immunity from prosecution is basically an invitation for abuse of power 
and eroding the independence of the judiciary is a massive red flag 
. its not surprising that critics are calling this a "funeral for democracy" because this move feels like a power grab by the military establishment 
. i'm worried about the future of pakistan's democratic institutions and human rights 
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. I mean, who needs a federal constitutional court when you can just have the executive pick judges? Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me 
. We gotta keep an eye on this one, it's not good for democracy at all 
... I think we're heading in the wrong direction here 
but this feels really bad for civil society and opposition parties... why didn't they get a say in this amendment? was it just rushed through without any debate or discussion? 
and now the army chief gets to make decisions on all three branches of defence, that's a lot of power 
i wonder how this will affect pakistan's human rights situation... will they have to live with some kind of military dictatorship now? 
. It's like they're trying to erase the very idea of civilian control over the military.
. I mean, who appoints judges by the executive? That's not how you make sure the judiciary is independent 
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. I mean, who needs checks and balances when you can just let one person call all the shots? 
, because if they're not, we should be too 
... and that's basically the opposite of what justice is supposed to be about 
the whole thing feels like an attempt to set up some kinda military dictatorship 
. I'm scared for Pakistan's future, it feels like they're taking a huge step backwards 
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just saw that pakistan parliament passed some serious bad news, like they're basically giving their army chief field marshal asim munir lifetime immunity from prosecution 
. I'm not surprised, though - the military has always had a big influence in Pakistan's politics, and it feels like they're trying to take over again 
. Newsflash Pakistan: just 'cause you have a fancy title doesn't mean you get special treatment. And what's up with this new court setup? Sounds like a bunch of yes-men for the executive branch