Pakistan on Sunday dismissed UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk’s concerns about the 27th Constitutional Amendment as “unfounded and groundless concerns”.
In a statement issued in Geneva on Friday, the human rights chief said the latest constitutional amendment, like the 26th amendment last year, was passed without broad consultation and debate with the legal community and wider civil society, PTI reported.
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He added that the “hastily adopted” amendments undermined the independence of the judiciary and raised concerns about military accountability.
The Foreign Office said in a press release that “like all parliamentary democracies, all legislation and any constitutional amendments remain the exclusive domain of the elected representatives of the people of Pakistan”.
“While Pakistan attaches due importance to the work of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, it is regrettable that the statement issued did not reflect the views and ground realities of Pakistan,” it said.
It said that Pakistan is “fully committed to the protection, promotion and upholding of human rights, human dignity, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law as enshrined in the Constitution”.
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“We urge the High Commissioner to respect the sovereign decision of the Pakistani Parliament and avoid comments that reflect political bias and misinformation,” it said.
Earlier this month, Pakistan’s joint parliamentary committee of the Senate and National Assembly approved the 27th constitutional amendment, with the opposition saying the government is sounding the “death knell for the Supreme Court”.
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The aim of the amendment is to amend Article 243 by abolishing the post of “Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff” and creating a new post of “Chief of the Defense Forces”.
It also proposes the establishment of a Federal Constitutional Court and aims to limit the powers of the Supreme Court.
Earlier on November 22, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) staged coordinated demonstrations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Karachi to oppose the 27th Constitutional Amendment.
Demonstrators waved black flags and shouted “Repeal the 27th Amendment” and “Long Live the Constitution”. MNA Khan alleged that the amendment was designed to “block the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in the elections”.
The human rights body draws attention to the deepening threat to democracy
In early November, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) issued an urgent alert at the conclusion of its 39th annual general meeting over what it described as rapidly escalating threats to constitutional democracy, civil liberties and the security of vulnerable communities across the country, ANI reported.
In a detailed statement issued by HRCP Chairman Asad Iqbal Butt, the Commission warned that the cumulative impact of recent political and security decisions erodes fundamental rights and undermines public confidence in state institutions.
The HRCP expressed serious concern over the passage of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, saying that the move threatens the independence of the judiciary by expanding executive control over matters that must remain free from interference. The commission said the amendment seriously undermines the system of checks and balances, especially at a time when democratic institutions are already under pressure.
(With input from agencies)
