United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Friday (Nov. 28) sounded an alarm over Pakistan’s recent constitutional amendments, saying they raise “grave concerns” over rule of law and protection of human rights, including religious freedom.
Th amendments also undermine judicial independence and military accountability, Turk said in a statement issued from Geneva, Switzerland.
Warning that the amendments were adopted “without broad consultation and debate” with the legal community and civil society, Turk said the amendments run counter to the separation of powers that underpin the rule of law and safeguard the protection of human rights in Pakistan.
“Neither the executive nor legislative should be in a position to control or direct the judiciary, and the judiciary should be protected from any form of political influence in its decision-making,” the U.N. rights chief said.
Under changes adopted on Nov. 13, a new Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) was given powers over constitutional cases, replacing the previous authority of the Supreme Court, which will now deal only with civil and criminal cases, he said.
The systems for appointing, promoting and transferring judges changed in a manner raising “serious concerns about undermining the structural independence of Pakistan’s judiciary,” Turk noted. He said the president and prime minister had already assigned the chief justice and the first set of FCC judges.
“These changes, taken together, risk subjugating the judiciary to political interference and executive control,” Turk said. “A core measure of judicial independence is a tribunal’s insulation from political interference by the government. If judges are not independent, experience shows that they struggle to apply the law equally and to uphold human rights for all in the face of political pressure.”
Turk also criticized lifetime immunity from criminal prosecution for the president, field marshal, marshal of the air force and admiral of the fleet, saying it undermined accountability that remains a cornerstone of the human rights framework and “democratic control of the armed forces under the rule of law.”
“I am concerned that these amendments risk far-reaching consequences for the principles of democracy and rule of law which the Pakistani people hold dear,” Turk concluded.
Similar concerns over the constitutional amendment have also been raised by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), which emphasized that the cumulative impact of recent political and security decisions was eroding fundamental rights and weakening public trust in state institutions.
In a statement issued after the conclusion of the HRCP’s 39th annual general meeting on Nov. 23, Commission Chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt said that the 27th Constitutional Amendment threatened judicial independence by expanding executive control over matters that must remain free of interference.
“The amendment severely undermines the system of checks and balances, especially at a time when democratic institutions are already under strain,” the commission stated.
It added that the provision of lifetime immunity for public officeholders concentrated unchecked power among a small group and compromised parliamentary supremacy. Empowered, elected local governments were essential for deepening democracy and ensuring meaningful citizen participation in governance, it stressed.
Pakistan’s government has said the parliament reserves the right to amend the constitution as per law. It defended the changes to the constitution, saying the FCC will reduce the backlog of cases pending before the Supreme Court, ensuring speedy dispensation of justice to the masses.
Pakistan, whose population is 96-percent Muslim, ranked eighth on Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian.
