LAHORE: A petition filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the sweeping 27th Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan has been formally dismissed after the petitioner requested withdrawal, giving the government space to complete its amendment process without immediate full judicial scrutiny. Dawn
The case, brought by citizen Hassan Latif, challenged the amendment’s provisions — including the creation of a Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) and transfers of original, appellate and advisory jurisdiction from the Supreme Court of Pakistan — arguing that they undermined judicial independence and violated the Preamble of the Constitution. Dawn+1
During Thursday’s hearing, the Additional Attorney-General, Mirza Nasar Ahmad, informed the bench that the amendment was still “undergoing changes” and thus deemed the petition premature. The petitioner’s counsel accepted the suggestion and sought permission to withdraw the plea, which the court approved, disposing of the matter as withdrawn. Dawn
Legal observers say the decision reflects two important dynamics: one, the government avoids immediate constitutional testing of the amendment in the courts; two, petitioners acknowledge that the final text of the amendment – and its implications – may still shift. However, critics warn that such delays may allow major reform measures to proceed without timely public and judicial oversight.
The amendment itself, which has already been passed in Parliament and awaits presidential assent, is linked closely to structural changes in judicial and defence domains. With the petition withdrawn, the legal challenge is effectively postponed until after the amendment is notified in full and becomes enforceable.
The spotlight now shifts to whether fresh petitions will surface once the amended text is formally enacted — and how the judiciary will respond to what many see as a significant recalibration of Pakistan’s constitutional architecture.
This story has been reported by PakTribune. All rights reserved.