Pakistan Grants Lifetime Immunity to President and Army Chief

Pakistan's parliament has passed a controversial constitutional reform that grants lifetime immunity to both the president and the current army chief against any legal prosecution, which has been denounced by the opposition as the "final blow to democracy."

This 27th constitutional amendment, adopted by a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly and then in the Senate, also expands the powers of the army chief and limits the role and independence of the country's highest court.

Considered the most powerful institution in Pakistan, the army has ruled the country for nearly half of its history since independence in 1947. It is routinely accused of interfering in politics, although it denies these allegations.

The measure, which now requires the president's signature to take effect, establishes a new position of "Chief of Defense Forces" for army chief Asim Munir, placing him above the chiefs of the navy and air force.

It states that all military personnel promoted to the rank of "marshal," like Asim Munir was in May following a brief conflict with India, will now be able to retain their rank and privileges for life and benefit from immunity against any legal action.

The current president, Asif Ali Zardari, accused of multiple corruption cases, is also granted lifetime immunity unless he holds another public office.

"Destroying Judicial Independence"

The amendment also creates a federal constitutional court that will now be the only entity capable of handling constitutional cases, stripping the Supreme Court of its powers and limiting its independence, as the executive will have the authority to transfer its judges.

This amendment is "the final blow to the independence of the judiciary and the proper functioning of democracy," denounces Syed Zulfiqar Bukhari, spokesperson for the PTI, the main opposition party, whose members tore copies of the text and walked out of the chamber before the vote.

"They have granted the president lifetime immunity from any criminal prosecution and created a system that concentrates power into the hands of a single military functionary," adds Salman Akram Raja, secretary general of the PTI.

"This constitutional amendment will strengthen authoritarianism, and the little democracy that remained in the country will disappear," worries Osama Malik, a lawyer based in Islamabad.

"Not only does this text eliminate civilian oversight of the army's activities, but it will also completely destroy the military hierarchy, where all chiefs of staff were previously considered equal," he added.

These changes "will destroy any independence of the judiciary," allowing the government to reward compliant judges and punish others by transferring them to distant courts," laments Mr. Malik.

This text is the latest in a series of laws aimed at reforming justice adopted by the fragile coalition government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who came to power in 2024 following elections marred by allegations of fraud.

The ruling party had repeatedly criticized court decisions favorable to former Prime Minister and imprisoned opposition leader Imran Khan.