Munir's unbridled power: UN shows Pakistan a red flag; what did Pakistan say after international humiliation?

News Topical, Digital Desk : Pakistan has strongly rejected UN human rights chief Volker Tuerk's criticism of its new 27th constitutional amendment. The government said it was a universal right and the UN official should refrain from making politically biased comments.

Pakistan rejects UN chief's criticism

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry ( FO) said on Sunday that any changes to the constitution are solely the prerogative of elected lawmakers. The ministry said Pakistan fully respects human rights and the rule of law, but the UN chief's comments do not reflect the ground reality.

The FO also said that they respect the work of the human rights chief, but he should respect the decisions of the Parliament of Pakistan and should not make statements based on misunderstanding or bias.

What did the UN chief say?

On Friday, Volker Turk described the amendments in Pakistan as a hasty move, saying they were made without adequate consultation with legal experts and civil society, raising questions about the independence of the judiciary and the accountability of the military.

The amendment has been a subject of significant political debate in the neighboring country since its inception. On November 12, a joint parliamentary committee approved the bill, prompting the opposition to call it a threat to the Supreme Court.

What did the 27th Amendment change?

This amendment makes a major change to Article 243 of the Constitution. It abolishes the post of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee ( CJCSC) and replaces it with a new post , Chief of Defence Forces ( CDF) .

It also proposes the creation of a Federal Constitutional Court and the reduction of some of the Supreme Court's powers. The first Chief of Staff (CDF) will be Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir, who was elevated to the rank of five-star field marshal following tensions with India in May.

According to Pakistani newspaper Dawn, the government has not yet formally issued a notification appointing the CDF , while the post of CJCSC officially ceased to exist on Thursday.

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