A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE 27TH CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT IN THE CONSTITUTION OF PAKISTAN 1973: ITS IMPACT ON JUDICIAL AUTONOMY, CENTRALIZATION OF MILITARY POWER, AND DEMOCRATIC ACCOUNTABILITY

A B S T R A C T

The 27th Constitutional Amendment of Pakistan IS considered as one of the most important major constitutional amendments in the country’s recent history. By introducing fundamental changes to the judicial system, restructuring military command structures, and enlarging the authority of the executive, the amendment has restructured the balance of power among the institutions of the state. This research paper examines critically the 27th Amendment with main objective on its consequences for judicial independence, centralization of military power, and democratic responsibility. It emphasized that while the amendment is presented as an effort to enlarge efficiency and governance, it raises serious constitutional issues regarding separation of powers, rule of law, and checks and balances on the institutions. The paper concludes that the 27th Amendment shows concern regarding undermining democratic concept of constitution by concentrating executive the authority and military domains at the danger of judicial autonomy and parliamentary supervision. By using a qualitative doctrinal research method, along with critical analysis, this paper analyzes primary legal sources such as the Constitution of Pakistan and landmark case law. It also incorporates secondary sources, including scholarly articles, reports, and expert commentary, to evaluate the impact of 27^th Amendment. Comparative analysis and constitutional theory are applied to critically assess implications for judicial autonomy, military centralization, and democratic accountability.