Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar presented the 27th Amendment Bill in the upper house, requesting that the question hour be suspended. The motion to suspend the question hour was moved by the Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and was approved by the Senate.
The bill was subsequently referred to a joint parliamentary committee comprising members from both the Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice and the National Assembly’s counterpart.
Read: 27th Amendment — What we know so far
The joint committee will be co-chaired by the chairpersons of both committees, Senator Farooq H. Naek and MNA Mahmood Bashir Virk and will review the proposed legislation in detail.
During the session, Law Minister Tarar informed the house that all political parties would be invited to participate in the committee’s discussions. He emphasised that the bill would be thoroughly debated before moving forward.
Opposition senators, including Senator Ali Zafar and Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, voiced concerns that the amendment had been introduced without broad consensus. They argued that the opposition had not been given sufficient time to review the draft.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar stated that detailed deliberations would take place in the standing committee and noted that the appointment of the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate fell under the prerogative of the Senate Chairman.
Read more: Cabinet delays meeting on 27th Amendment draft
The session also addressed preparations for the upcoming Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference to be held in Islamabad, with Chairman Gilani briefing members on the event’s arrangements.
A joint meeting of the National Assembly and Senate Standing Committees on Law and Justice has been convened for 2pm today to continue deliberations on the 27th Constitutional Amendment.
Cabinet approves amendment
The federal cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif via video link from Baku, approved the draft of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, state-run PTV News reported.
وزیرِ اعظم محمد شہباز شریف کی زیر صدارت وفاقی کابینہ کا اجلاس
وزیرِ اعظم نے کابینہ اجلاس کی صدارت ویڈیو لنک کے ذریعے باکو سے کی.
وفاقی کابینہ نے 27 ویں آئینی ترمیم کے مسودے کی منظوری دے دی اور اسکا بھرپور خیرمقدم کیا.
وزیر اعظم کا اجلاس میں کابینہ ارکان کا خیر مقدم، اتحادی… pic.twitter.com/EZNFqBvUvy
— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) November 8, 2025
The prime minister welcomed cabinet members and thanked allied parties for their support. The meeting was attended by federal ministers Khawaja Asif, Bilal Azhar Kayani, Rana Tanveer, Aurangzeb Khichi, Rana Mubashir, Aun Chaudhry, Dr Shezra Mansab, Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, and Malik Rasheed Ahmed, while Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan was present at the prime minister’s House.
Following the cabinet’s approval, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar briefed the media, stating that the bill would now be introduced in the Senate and subsequently referred to a joint parliamentary committee. He said the government had completed consultations with coalition partners, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).
Also read: Govt finalises initial 27th Amendment draft for cabinet review tomorrow
Tarar explained that under the proposed amendment, the executive’s powers regarding the transfer of judges would be curtailed, transferring the authority to the Judicial Commission. He added that the amendment also addresses delays in Senate elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to ensure simultaneous polls nationwide.
He noted that proposals to increase the number of advisers from five to seven and to amend Article 243 to alter the procedure for key appointments were also included. Additionally, the title of “Field Marshal” would remain an honorary, lifelong distinction.
The minister further stated that an amendment to Article 140-A had been proposed, reflecting MQM’s bill regarding local government powers, which will also be reviewed by the parliamentary committee.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the amendment represented a collective effort in the national interest and to strengthen the federation’s relationship with the provinces. He thanked the Ministry of Law and Justice, the attorney general, and their teams for their contributions.
The premier said he had consulted PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari, expressing gratitude for their guidance and approval. He also thanked allied leaders Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Abdul Aleem Khan, Khalid Hussain Magsi, and Chaudhry Salik Hussain for their endorsement of the draft.
Shehbaz added that consultations had also been held with political leaders, including Aimal Wali Khan and Ejazul Haq. He said political and economic stability had set the country on the right path and urged all stakeholders to work collectively for national prosperity.