PESHAWAR: Senior lawyer Ali Zaman has said that the 27th Constitutional Amendment was nothing less than a direct assault on the independence of judiciary and a blow to the democratic spirit of the Constitution.

In a statement issued here, he said that the amendment was aimed shattering the fundamental principle of separation of powers by placing the judiciary under the effective control of the executive, thereby weakening the very pillars on which constitutional justice stands. “If the judiciary — the true guardian of citizens’ rights — is compromised, then the promise of justice becomes nothing more than an illusion,” he said.

Besides, he said that such attempts to reshape the judicial structure for political convenience were dangerous, unjust, and deeply alarming. “They threaten the rule of law and jeopardise the fundamental rights guaranteed to every citizen of Pakistan. An independent judiciary is not a privilege; it is the backbone of any democratic nation. Undermining it is equivalent to locking the doors of justice and silencing the voice of the oppressed.”

“As members of the legal fraternity, it is our duty — both professional and moral — to resist any move that weakens judicial independence. This is not merely a constitutional issue; it is a matter of national survival. There can be no compromise on the freedom, dignity, and authority of the judiciary,” Mr Zaman said.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2025