LHC’s Justice Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal on Friday took up the petitions filed by Advocate Muhammad Shahid Rana and Hassan Latif Chaudhry.
The petitions argued that the establishment of the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) formed under the amendment has effectively made the Supreme Court an unconstitutional court.
They alleged that the amendment had curtailed the judicial authority, placing judicial independence at risk. They argued that the amendment was made without consulting the provinces, affecting the constitutional framework.
The petitioners requested the court to declare the transfer of cases to the FCC void and declare the 27th Constitutional Amendment as unconstitutional and strike it down. The prime minister, speaker of the National Assembly, and Federal Ministry of Law have been arrayed as respondents in the case.
Some lawyers in Karachi have also challenged the 27th Constitutional Amendment in the Sindh High Court (SHC). The Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) has also announced that it will challenge the amendment in the Supreme Court.
The PML-N led government brought major changes in the country’s judicial system first through the 26th Constitutional Amendment bulldozed through parliament in October 2024 and later by the 27th Constitutional Amendment.