India criticises Pakistan's democratic situation, flags jailing of Imran Khan, military-backed constitutional changes

New York [US], December 16 (ANI): India on Monday (local time) sharply criticised Pakistan's domestic political situation at the United Nations Security Council, flagging Islamabad for jailing former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and allowing its armed forces to engineer a "constitutional coup" through the new 27th amendment, which granted lifetime immunity to its Chief of Defence Forces, Asim Munir.
Referring to Pakistan's democratic crisis during the UNSC open debate on "Leadership for Peace", India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, said that Islamabad has a "unique way of respecting the will of its people," pointing to the imprisonment of Khan along with the banning of the ruling political party and granting so much power to the military.
"Pakistan, of course, has a unique way of respecting the will of its people - by jailing a Prime Minister, by banning the ruling political party and by letting its armed forces engineer a constitutional coup through the 27th amendment and giving lifetime immunity to its Chief of Defence Forces," Parvathaneni said.
The remarks were part of India's broader rejection of Pakistan's claims over Jammu and Kashmir, which New Delhi termed "unwarranted" and reflective of Islamabad's "obsessive focus on harming India".
The Indian Envoy was referring to the imprisonment of former Pakistani PM Imran Khan, who has been serving a sentence in the EUR 190 million corruption case since August 2023, as well as facing trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the May 9, 2023, protests.
His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has voiced serious concern over a recent report by United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice Jill Edwards, alleging that the party founder is being subjected to degrading and inhuman treatment during his incarceration at Adiala Jail.
Ambassador Parvathaneni also referred to the recently passed 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill, which issued a sweeping reform measure aimed at restructuring the country's military and judicial systems.
According to Geo News, the bill, which was passed last month, comprised 59 clauses that introduced significant changes to the military command structure and judiciary, including the creation of a Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) that will share powers with the Supreme Court, particularly in constitutional matters.
Under the act, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff would now assume the title of Pakistan's Chief of Defence Forces, while honorary ranks such as Field Marshal, Marshal of the Air Force, and Admiral of the Fleet would remain lifetime titles.
The FCC would be composed of judges from across provinces with equal representation and empowered to take suo motu notices on constitutional petitions.
The Act also introduced limitations on presidential immunity in certain circumstances and restructured the judicial commission responsible for the appointment and transfer of judges. (ANI)