Pakistan rejects UN rights chief's statement on 27th constitutional amendment

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has rejected a statement issued by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) regarding the 27th Constitutional Amendment, calling the remarks “baseless,” the Foreign Office Spokesperson said in a press release on Sunday.

The response came after UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed concerns that Pakistan’s “hastily adopted” constitutional amendments undermine judicial independence and raise serious questions about military accountability and respect for the rule of law.

According to the Foreign Office, Pakistan noted with “deep concern” the “ungrounded and misplaced apprehensions” raised by the High Commissioner regarding the amendment, which was adopted by a two-thirds majority in Parliament.

“Like all parliamentary democracies, all legislation—as well as any amendment to the Constitution—remains the exclusive domain of the elected representatives of the people of Pakistan. Democracy and democratic methods form the bedrock of civil and political rights and therefore must be respected,” the Foreign Office Spokesperson said.

The statement further emphasized that the 27th Constitutional Amendment was passed following due procedure as outlined in Pakistan’s Constitution.

Pakistan reiterated its commitment to protecting, promoting, and upholding human rights, human dignity, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law as enshrined in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

While acknowledging the importance of the High Commissioner’s work, the Foreign Office expressed regret that Pakistan’s perspective and the “ground realities” were not reflected in the UN statement.

Pakistan urged the High Commissioner to respect the sovereign decisions of Pakistan’s Parliament and to avoid commentary that “reflects political bias and misinformation.”

Earlier, the Human Rights Chief had noted that the 27th constitutional amendment, like the 26th amendment last year, had been adopted without broad consultation and debate with the legal community and wider civil society.

Türk warned that the amendments run counter to the separation of powers that underpin the rule of law and safeguard the protection of human rights in Pakistan.