Dawn
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03:09 Nov 07, 2025
• Former law officer says nation must brace itself for long struggle against ‘praetorian judges’ • Ruling elite has inflicted unprecedented harm on independence of judiciary, Akram Sheikh argues ISLAMABAD: As speculations swirl around the controversial 27th Constitutional Amendment, legal experts have questioned the rationale behind such constitutional tweaks, especially after the previous 26th Amendment that had effectively brought the superior judiciary under the executive’s control. The “final draft” of this Amendment has hitherto been kept under wraps, but its contours were recently shared by PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari when he said a prime minister-led delegation had sought the PPP’s support for its passage. In a statement, he said the proposal included setting up constitutional courts, restoring executive magistrates, matters related to the transfer of judges, ending the protection of provincial shares under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, and amending Article 243, which pertains to...