The bill for the 27th Constitutional Amendment was tabled in the Senate for voting by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar amid a noisy protest by PTI members on Monday.

The session, presided over by Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani, saw voting on the motion to present the amendment.

A total of 64 senators voted in favour of Clause 2 of the 27th Amendment.

Opposition members, who staged a protest against the legislation, boycotted the proceedings and walked out of the upper house.

However, PTI senators Saifullah Abro and Ahmed Khan voted in favour of the amendment.

During the session, PTI senators protested in front of the Senate chairman’s dais.

However, Senator Saifullah Abro remained seated and did not join the protest; instead, standing in support of the motion to introduce the amendment.

JUI Senator Ahmed Khan also supported the motion.

Earlier, the report of the joint parliamentary committee on law and justice, which included the draft of the 27th Amendment, was presented in the Senate by Senator Farooq H. Naek.

Speaking on the occasion, Naek said that several changes had been incorporated into the draft.

He explained that the Supreme Court’s suo motu powers would now be subject to the filing of a formal application before being taken up by the proposed constitutional court.

He added that the transfer of a judge from one high court to another would be made through the Judicial Commission of Pakistan.

If a judge refuses the transfer, a reference would be filed with the Supreme Judicial Council, and the judge would be given an opportunity to explain the reasons for refusal.

Naek further said that presidential immunity would not apply when the president holds a public office.

Addressing the session, PML-N Senator Agha Shahzeb Durrani criticised the opposition’s boycott, saying they should have presented their amendments in committee meetings and highlighted their concerns there.

“There are constitutional courts in Germany, Italy, and Spain — so what’s the objection to having one here?” he asked, adding that the opposition hadn’t even read the proposed amendments.

Senator Durrani recalled that in 2022, opposition parties themselves amended the law and later became its victims.

“Fifty-two bills were passed by this very house in just 52 minutes. Where was democracy then?” he remarked.