LAHORE – The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday constituted a three-member full bench to hear multiple petitions filed against the 27th Constitutional Amendment.
Justice Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal heard preliminary arguments on the petitions and referred the matter to the full bench for further proceedings.
The petitions were filed by Advocate Muhammad Shahid Rana and Hassan Latif Chaudhry, who have named the prime minister, the speaker of the National Assembly and the federal law ministry as respondents.
According to the petitions, the amendment—passed in 2025—introduces an immunity clause that allegedly conflicts with Article 248 of the Constitution. The petitioners also argue that the creation of a Federal Constitutional Court effectively diminishes the status of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, rendering it “an unconstitutional court” in practice.
The petitioners maintain that the amendment seeks to curtail the powers of the Supreme Court, restrict judicial authority, and undermine judicial independence. They further contend that altering the constitutional structure without consultation with the provinces violates the spirit of the federation.
The petitions request the LHC to declare the transfer of cases to the proposed constitutional court illegal and strike down the 27th Constitutional Amendment as being contrary to the Constitution. The full bench will now take up the case for detailed hearings.
27th Constitutional Amendment becomes Law with President Zardari’s assent
