How a Coup Is Rewriting the Future of Pakistan: There is one arena where India can never compete with Pakistan and that is Pakistan’s long, troubled history of military authority overshadowing civilian power. This legacy resurfaced dramatically last week when Pakistan’s Parliament passed the 27th Constitutional Amendment, a move that many in the country now describe as a silent earthquake – one that threatens to bury the last surviving pillars of democracy.
Amid news of terror attacks in Delhi and Srinagar, another deep and far-reaching explosion shook Pakistan, not in the form of a bomb but in the form of legislation. While the world focused on violence, Pakistan witnessed a different kind of blast, one that tore into the structure of its Constitution.
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Table of Contents
A Constitutional Coup Without Bullets
For decades, Pakistan’s political history has swung between civilian rule and direct military takeovers. But this time, the approach is different. No tanks on the streets, no curfews, no dramatic broadcasts. Instead, the move is clean, legal, and cloaked in parliamentary approval.
The 27th Amendment fundamentally weakens the judiciary, especially the once-powerful Supreme Court of Pakistan, which had earlier dared to challenge unconstitutional actions. It also gives unprecedented, lifelong immunity to the President, Prime Minister, and most significantly, the Army Chief—Field Marshal Asim Munir.
This immunity is not symbolic – it shields top officials from any legal proceedings for the rest of their lives, no matter the allegations that may arise. In a country where corruption and power struggles are part of everyday politics, this move practically removes accountability at the highest level.
Why Pakistan’s Army Needed a Legal Shield
Pakistan’s army has always been the most powerful institution in the country. But its credibility took a historic hit on 9 May 2023, when massive protests erupted across the country after former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s arrest. Military installations were stormed, headquarters were attacked, and for the first time since independence, the army felt its authority genuinely shaken.
This public anger created an existential dilemma for the military leadership: either rebuild its dominance or risk losing decades of influence.
Thus began a multi-pronged strategy – political, legal, emotional, and diplomatic.
First, Imran Khan was jailed and buried under a mountain of cases. PTI leaders were pressured into resignations, exile, or silence. The 2024 elections were engineered in such a way that PTI was barred from using its party symbol, forcing candidates to run as independents.
Even when PTI-backed independents emerged as the single largest bloc, they were blocked from forming the government. When the matter reached the Supreme Court, the judges pushed back, asserting that democracy could not be hijacked this openly. That defiance sealed the judiciary’s fate.
The army had watched enough. It now moved to prevent the courts from ever challenging them again.
The 27th Amendment: Democracy on the Guillotine
The amendment brings sweeping changes:
1. A New Military Post With Supreme Power
A new constitutional office – Chief of Defence Forces – will automatically be held by the sitting Army Chief. This formalizes military dominance at the top of the state.
2. Lifetime Immunity for Top Officials
Field Marshals, Presidents, and Prime Ministers receive complete immunity -during and after service. This provides an iron shield to Asim Munir and future military elites.
3. Judiciary Stripped of Its Core Powers
A new Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) will now handle constitutional matters, fundamental rights, and federal disputes – areas previously reserved for the Supreme Court.
Judges of the court will be appointed by the government, effectively sidelining the independent judiciary.
4. Judges Can Now Be Transferred
On the recommendation of the Judicial Commission, the President can shift High Court judges anywhere – whether they agree or not. This allows easy punishment for judges who refuse to toe the line.
Together, these changes strip Pakistan’s judiciary of its strength and place power firmly in the hands of the military-backed establishment.
Reclaiming Public Sympathy Through Conflict
As the army faced an identity crisis after the 2023 unrest, two major events helped restore its public image:
- The Jaffar Express hijacking and the successful rescue operation.
- Operation Sindoor, a tense military confrontation involving missiles, drones, and air skirmishes.
After both incidents, Asim Munir positioned himself as the decisive protector of Pakistan, with foreign leaders, from Washington to Riyadh, meeting him directly. He stood beside Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif during every important diplomatic engagement, making it clear who truly held the reins.
These bolstered national sentiment and helped smooth the path for the constitutional overhaul that followed.
Why This Crisis Matters to South Asia
Pakistan’s crisis is not an isolated story, it is a lesson for the entire region.
When democratic institutions are weakened slowly and silently, people often don’t realize how much power has shifted until it is too late. What is happening in Pakistan today resembles similar attempts elsewhere, whether it was the judicial overhaul in Israel or attempted democratic rollbacks in other countries.
A democracy does not always fall with gunfire or martial law. Sometimes, it dies quietly, through amendments, legal tweaks, and slow erosion of checks and balances.
Pakistan is now the starkest example of this “constitutional coup.”
How a Coup Is Rewriting the Future of Pakistan: The Road Ahead
With the judiciary weakened, Parliament compliant, and the military legally empowered like never before, Pakistan’s democracy is hanging by a thread. Opposition parties have called for mass protests. Several top judges have resigned in outrage. Civil society is alarmed.
But the military establishment appears determined. And for now, Field Marshal Asim Munir stands as the most powerful figure in Pakistan, protected for life, answerable to none, and ruling through the very document meant to limit power.
Pakistan’s story is a cautionary tale: when vigilance fades, democracy can be rewritten without a single bullet being fired.
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