How 27th Amendment seals Pak Army’s stranglehold over state, Pg 24

Key Highlights:

• The 27th Amendment restructures Pakistan’s civil-military and inter-services framework, formalising an Army-led command over all three services and nuclear forces.
• Amendment guarantees complete legal immunity to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and other top generals.
• A new Federal Constitutional Court is created, effectively superseding the Supreme Court of Pakistan, curbing judicial independence.
• Consolidates the Army’s role in tackling internal militancy, especially post-2022 TTP and Baloch insurgency uptick.
• Strengthens the Army’s “hybrid model” of governance, expanding its role in economic and administrative councils.
• Enhances Army influence in shaping foreign policy, especially through partnerships with China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and security alliances.
• Reflects Pakistan’s deepening civil–military imbalance under General Asim Munir.

Detailed Insights:

• Army consolidation of domestic power:
  • The amendment comes at a time of low Army popularity due to political interventions since Imran Khan’s ouster in 2022.
  • Rising militant attacks—over 2,300 since 2021—allowed the Army to justify expanded internal security control.
  • The amendment ensures Army dominance by removing previous legal and institutional checks.
• Hybrid governance model institutionalised:
  • General Munir has deepened military involvement in governance bodies like the Special Investment Facilitation Council.
  • The Army seeks to avoid scrutiny or prosecution of its leadership, cementing a semi-military administrative framework.
  • With the Supreme Court sidelined, the amendment makes the Army the central decision-maker in state institutions.
• Foreign policy capture by military:
  • Army’s supremacy enables greater influence over Pakistan’s diplomacy and defence cooperation.
  • Regional security partnerships such as the Saudi-Pak Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement elevate Pakistan’s role in Middle East security politics.
  • Army leverages ties with China and Turkey to strengthen defence exports and regional positioning.
  • Pakistan’s participation in peacekeeping or stabilisation missions is now shaped directly by military strategy, with minimal civilian oversight.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• Civil–Military Relations: Refers to the balance of power between elected civilian authorities and military leadership in governance.
• Hybrid Regime: A political system where democratic institutions exist but are heavily controlled or influenced by non-elected actors, particularly the military.
• Federal Constitutional Court: A specialised constitutional court that can override or limit the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court—altering judicial hierarchy.