• Opposition leader warns 27th Amendment undermines judiciary, rule of law and media freedom
• Fears another legislation may follow to further consolidate ‘absolute power’

ISLAMABAD: The PTI has been left with hardly any options to take action against Senator Saifullah Abro, who defied party policy by voting in favour of the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment on Monday but later announced his resignation, while the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) expelled its senator, Ahmed Khan, for the same action.

PTI Senator Ali Zafar, while speaking to Dawn, said: “I have issued instructions under Article 63A. He [Senator Abro] violated them and is disqualified accordingly.”

Replying to a question, he said the party has distanced itself from Senator Abro, who has been removed from all communication channels, including the parliamentary party’s WhatsApp group.

PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram, speaking to Dawn, said a show-cause notice would be issued to Senator Abro as a first step.

“In the past, some MNAs openly voted in favour of the 26th Constitutional Amendment and were terminated from the party. All possible actions will be taken against him for selling mandate. The Election Com­mission of Pakistan [ECP] will also be approached to immediately terminate his senatorship,” he said.

Mr Akram noted that the PTI Central Media Department held five press conferences across the country on Monday, denouncing the “self-serving constitutional amendments” and pledging to raise its voice against this contentious change on a daily basis.

Former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, speaking to Dawn, said Senator Abro betrayed the party and violated the oath he took when becoming a senator.

“People never respect those who violate their oaths and turn against their party. His [Senator Abro’s] family and children will not gain respect and will face criticism on every platform,” he said.

Apart from Senator Abro, JUI-F Senator Ahmed Khan also voted in favour of the 27th Amendment, defying his party’s instructions.

The JUI-F announced his expulsion in a statement, saying the decision was made on the recommendation of the party’s parliamentary leader, Senator Maulana Ata-ur-Rehman, and Provincial Ameer Balochistan, Senator Maulana Abdul Wasay.

The statement added that the central party has immediately expelled Senator Khan and asked him to resign from his Senate seat.

If he fails to do so, the JUI-F will approach the ECP for his disqualification.

‘Nefarious design’

Earlier, speaking at a press conference in Islamabad alongside PTI parliamentarians Mashal Yousafzai, Maulana Nasim Ali Shah, and Muhammad Mobeen Arif Jutt, the party’s senior leader Latif Khosa said the “person-specific, self-serving, and agenda-driven” 27th Constitutional Amendment was a continuation of the 26th Amendment, aimed at fulfilling the same nefarious design.

He warned that the legislation could be followed by a 28th Amendment to further consolidate “absolute power”, likening it to attempts by dictators like Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan, Ziaul Haq, and Pervez Musharraf to extend their rule indefinitely.

Mr Khosa noted that such figures were not remembered as national benefactors, adding that the true benefactors upheld constitutional supremacy, served the public, and returned looted mandates.

He described the grant of lifetime immunity as unprecedented, contrasting it with temporary immunity under Article 248, which did not shield General Musharraf from high treason charges.

He added that this new protection extended to a president facing major corruption cases and to army commanders, without legal precedent.

Mr Khosa warned that it effectively gave rulers a licence to act with impunity and might violate Article 126 of the Constitution, which required laws to conform to Islamic principles.

He also said the Supreme Court’s authority was being undermined by the creation of a Federal Constitutional Court under the 27th Amendment, staffed with judges favourable to the executive, threatening judicial independence.

Addressing a press conference at the party office in Karachi, PTI Sindh chief Haleem Adil Sheikh called the 27th Constitutional Amendment “a burial of the 1973 Constitution,” saying it had “destroyed” the foundations of Pakistan’s democratic and judicial system.

He added that the rule of law, judicial independence, and media freedom no longer existed in the country.

Kalbe Ali in Islamabad and Imran Ayub in Karachi also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, November 11th, 2025