"I am an elected representative first": Ayaz Sadiq refuses constitutional exemption

ISLAMABAD: Speaker National Assembly (NA) Ayaz Sadiq has categorically refused to take any exemption under Article 248, ARY News reported, citing sources.

Sources said the suggestion emerged in a joint parliamentary committee meeting on law and justice, proposing an exemption for the Chairman Senate and Speaker National Assembly as well, along with the President and Prime Minister.

The suggestion was given owing to the constitutional posts of the Chairman of the Upper House of the Parliament and the Speaker of the Lower House of the Parliament, the sources added.

When Speaker NA Ayaz Sadiq knew about the suggestion, he openly opposed the exemption. The Speaker also opposed the exemption with the committee Chairman, Mahmood Bashir Virk.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader said, “He is an elected representative first and has the portfolio of the NA speakership later.”

He categorically said that he does not require any exemption.

Earlier, the Parliamentary Committee on Law and Justice convened a joint session to deliberate on the 27th Constitutional Amendment.

According to details, discussions were held under the 27th Constitutional Amendment regarding the Awami National Party (ANP)’s proposal to rename Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but the committee decided to hold further consultations on the issue. The government has sought time until tomorrow to present its final position on this matter, sources added.

The committee also reviewed a proposal under the 27th Constitutional Amendment to increase the number of seats in the Balochistan Assembly. However, this issue was also deferred for additional consultation, with the government again requesting time until tomorrow to finalize its stance.

Committee sources further stated that consensus has been achieved on all other clauses of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, and discussions are nearing completion.

The second phase of the joint parliamentary committee’s meeting on the 27th Constitutional Amendment resumed at 3 PM today after a scheduled break.

Earlier, Leaders of the opposition alliance Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan denounced the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment, calling it an attack on the Constitution and a serious blow to judicial independence.

Addressing a joint press conference in Islamabad, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar said the amendment amounted to a violation of the principle of judicial independence and was intended to benefit individuals nearing retirement.

“They are about to destroy the national consensus that was achieved through the 1973 Constitution,” he warned, urging all segments of society—including the public, media, traders, farmers, and lawyers—to stand united against the proposed legislation.

“The day this amendment is passed, it will mark the burial of the 1973 Constitution,” Khokhar added, while describing the 27th Amendment as person-specific.

He announced the observance of a Black Day across the country, urging citizens to wear black armbands in protest.

Allama Raja Nasir Abbas strongly criticized the proposal to grant immunity to certain ranks and positions, saying it would place individuals above the law.

“The 27th Amendment seeks to remove specific people from the scope of accountability so that they can do whatever they please—whether it is murder, cruelty, or corruption—and still remain untouchable for life,” he said.

He warned that unchecked power turns individuals into autocrats who suppress every form of dissent, “even that of a child.”

“The 1973 Constitution will die the day this amendment is approved,” Allama Abbas lamented, calling on citizens to rise and resist what he described as a direct assault on the country’s foundational document.