UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Friday said the constitutional amendments hastily adopted by Pakistan seriously undermine judicial independence. He has expressed deep concern over this.
What is the main concern of the UN?
In a video statement released on UN social media platforms, Volker Turk said that like the 26th Amendment, the latest constitutional amendments have also been adopted without any comprehensive discussion with the legal community and the Pakistani people.
‘Taken together, these changes risk subjecting the judiciary to political interference and executive control,’ Turk said. They also raised serious concerns about military accountability and respect for the rule of law.
Turk warned that these amendments risked having far-reaching consequences for the principles of democracy and rule of law that the Pakistani people hold dear.
#Pakistan: @UNHumanRights is concerned that hastily adopted constitutional amendments risk far-reaching consequences for the principles of democracy & rule of law which the Pakistani people hold dear.
➡️ https://t.co/mtHoK9Xzdr pic.twitter.com/lNLL70pUiK
— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) November 28, 2025
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What are the new amendments of Pakistan?
Pakistan adopted new constitutional changes on 13 November.
There has been a change in judicial power (27th amendment). Under this, a new Federal Constitutional Court has been created, which will now have the authority to hear constitutional matters. This has reduced the powers of the Supreme Court, which will now handle only civil and criminal cases.
Apart from this, Army Chief Asim Munir has become the first Chief of Defense Forces of the country. Due to this, the complete control of the three armies has passed from the President and the Cabinet to the CDF.
According to the statement, under the 27th Amendment, the President, Field Marshal, Marshal of the Air Force and Admiral of the Fleet have got lifetime immunity from criminal cases and arrest.
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Protest against constitutional amendment
Last week, the Human Rights Council of Pakistan had also opposed these amendments. The council had condemned the ‘unlawful arrest and five-hour detention’ of its member Farwa Askar and journalist Alifiya Sohail, who were peacefully protesting against the 27th Constitutional Amendment outside the Karachi Press Club.