Pakistan’s opposition alliance has declared a nationwide protest for Sunday in response to the government’s move to pass the 27th Constitutional Amendment—a controversial proposal that would alter Article 243 and reshape the military’s command structure.
A central feature of the amendment is the plan to dissolve the office of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) and replace it with a newly created position, the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF). Analysts note that this change would effectively elevate the current army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, making him the likely first occupant of the powerful new post. Critics argue that such restructuring could further consolidate authority within the military at a politically sensitive time.
The timing of the proposal coincides with heightened regional tensions following India’s “Operation Sindoor,” which New Delhi claims targeted militant infrastructure in Pakistan-administered territory in retaliation for the deadly April Pahalgam attack. Observers suggest the government may be using the security crisis to justify sweeping changes that extend beyond defence matters.
The amendment also seeks to create a Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), adjust procedures for appointing high court judges, and curtail portions of the Pakistan Supreme Court’s authority—moves that opposition parties and legal experts warn could weaken judicial independence.
In reaction, the Tehreek-e-Tahafuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP)—a coalition led by Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), with Khan still imprisoned—has announced a coordinated protest campaign. Citing a PTI report, the alliance has accused the government of undermining the constitutional order. Allama Raja Nasir Abbas of the Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) claimed democratic institutions had been “paralysed,” urging citizens to mobilise against what he called an existential threat to the constitutional framework.
PkMAP leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai said the demonstrations would rally under the slogan “Long live democracy, down with dictatorship,” signalling that the opposition views the amendment as a step toward authoritarian consolidation. He added that protesters would also call for the release of political prisoners, arguing that street agitation is now the alliance’s only remaining recourse against what it sees as the government’s attempt to push through a unilateral and destabilising constitutional overhaul.
