Pakistan’s new constitutional amendments grant lifelong immunity to the president and army chief, raising alarms over judicial erosion and democratic decline.
Newsroom (14/11/2025 Gaudium Press )Pakistan’s parliament has passed sweeping constitutional amendments granting lifetime legal immunity to President Asif Ali Zardari and Field Marshal Asim Munir, the country’s powerful army chief, in a move critics warn could cement authoritarian rule and further undermine the nation’s fragile democracy. The legislation, approved on Nov. 12, has drawn sharp condemnation from Christian activists, civil society groups, and opposition leaders, who describe it as a constitutional coup that concentrates power in the hands of a few while eroding judicial independence.
The amendments not only shield Zardari and Munir from criminal proceedings for life but also elevate Munir to a newly created role as chief of defense forces, granting him authority over Pakistan’s army, navy, and air force. This consolidation of military power has fueled concerns that Munir, widely regarded as Pakistan’s de facto ruler, will wield unchecked influence over the country’s governance. Analysts and activists argue that the reforms institutionalize a system of impunity, potentially paving the way for what some describe as a “lifelong dictatorship.”
Akmal Bhatti, a Catholic lawyer and chairman of Minorities Alliance Pakistan, decried the amendments as a dangerous overreach. “Nobody deserves immunity. They have created a new class and big positions. The judiciary has been fractured,” Bhatti told reporters. He highlighted provisions that allow the strengthened executive to transfer judges, bypass senior candidates for judicial appointments, and retire dissenting judges, effectively subordinating the judiciary to political and military control.
The backlash was swift. Hours after the amendments were passed, two Supreme Court judges resigned in protest, denouncing the changes as an assault on Pakistan’s constitutional framework. In a scathing resignation letter, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah wrote that the amendments “dismantle the Supreme Court of Pakistan, subjugate the judiciary to executive control, and strike at the very heart of our constitutional democracy — making justice more distant, more fragile and more vulnerable to power.” The resignations underscored the deepening rift between the judiciary and the government, which critics say is increasingly beholden to military interests.
Samson Salamat, the Catholic chairman of Rwadari Tehreek, a movement for religious tolerance, echoed these concerns, warning that the “life tenure and immunity for the chief of defense forces potentially entrench military supremacy.” Salamat argued that the amendments risk perpetuating a cycle of military dominance that has long plagued Pakistan’s democratic institutions.
The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, led by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, accused the coalition government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of orchestrating a “constitutional coup.” Despite PTI securing the most seats in last year’s general election, Sharif assumed power with strong backing from the military under Munir’s leadership, a development critics cite as evidence of the armed forces’ outsized influence over Pakistan’s political landscape. The amendments, PTI claims, are a deliberate effort to entrench this dynamic and marginalize democratic opposition.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has also raised alarms, announcing on Nov. 9 that it would hold urgent consultations to assess the amendments’ political and social implications. In a statement, the HRCP criticized the government’s “haste” and lack of “meaningful consultation with the political opposition, the wider legal fraternity and civil society,” questioning the intentions behind the legislation. The absence of transparent dialogue, the commission argued, undermines the legitimacy of the reforms and risks further polarizing an already divided nation.
Analysts warn that embedding legal immunity at the constitutional level could have far-reaching consequences. By granting lifelong protections to the president and army chief, the amendments create a precedent for future leaders to inherit similar privileges, potentially institutionalizing a system of unaccountability. “This is a step toward entrenching a system where power is concentrated in the hands of a few, with no checks or balances,” said a political analyst based in Islamabad, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue. “It’s a dangerous precedent for a country already struggling with democratic backsliding.”
Pakistan’s history of military interventions and political instability lends weight to these concerns. The military has ruled the country for nearly half of its 78-year existence, often justifying its interventions as necessary to stabilize a turbulent political order. Critics argue that the latest amendments formalize this pattern, granting the military constitutional cover to operate above the law.
As protests and debates intensify, the amendments have cast a shadow over Pakistan’s democratic future. For activists like Bhatti and Salamat, the fight is not just about legal reforms but about preserving the principles of justice and accountability in a nation at a crossroads. With the judiciary weakened and opposition voices sidelined, the path forward remains uncertain, as Pakistan grapples with the specter of authoritarianism looming larger than ever.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from UCA News
Related Images:
