ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi has convened a full court meeting of the Supreme Court to deliberate on the 27th Constitutional Amendment, which was recently passed by both houses of Parliament.

According to court sources, the meeting has been scheduled for Friday and is expected to discuss in detail the constitutional implications of the amendment.

The decision comes after multiple Supreme Court judges — including Justices Mansoor Ali Shah, Athar Minallah, and Salahuddin Panhwar — formally requested the chief justice to call a full court session for collective discussion on the matter.

Justice Salahuddin Panhwar, in his letter to the chief justice, emphasized that his request was not an act of protest but a matter of judicial duty. He urged a clause-by-clause review of the 27th Amendment to ensure that the Constitution’s basic structure and institutional balance remain intact. He also proposed consulting the Law and Justice Commission and other policy-making bodies to assess the potential impact of the amendment on the separation of powers.

Earlier, Justice Athar Minallah had written to Chief Justice Afridi, calling for a full court conference to deliberate on the threats to judicial independence. He expressed concern that, at times, the Supreme Court had been used by “unelected elites” to suppress public opinion.

Justice Mansoor Ali Shah also warned in his letter that failure to maintain unity within the judiciary could compromise both its independence and credibility. “History does not remember those who stayed silent but honours those who stood for the supremacy of the Constitution,” he wrote.

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The 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill — which establishes a Federal Constitutional Court and revises provisions related to the command of the armed forces and the office of the Chief Justice of Pakistan — was passed by the Senate last week with 64 votes in favour and four against, amid strong opposition protests.

With the president’s assent, the amendment has now become part of the Constitution, but its implications continue to generate intense debate within legal and political circles.