Minister of State for Home Affairs Talal Chaudhry speaks to journalists outside Parliament in Islamabad on October 9, 2025. Screen recording
FAISALABAD:
Ignoring the judicial reaction, Minister of State for Home Affairs Talal Chaudhry said on Sunday that the ruling coalition was ready to introduce yet another constitutional amendment if necessary to “maintain stability” in the country, stating that only parliament had the mandate to amend the Constitution.
Speaking to reporters in Faisalabad, the PML-N leader said the 26th and 27th amendments had brought “stability” and further changes could come if necessary.
“If another amendment is needed to maintain this stability, we will definitely bring it together with other parties,” he said. “Parliament will table amendments whenever it wants, and parliament should. Parliament should be seen as a parliament.”
In response to a question, Chaudhry dismissed recent resignations of senior judges over the amendments as “political,” saying the departures were not driven by principle but by partisanship.
He affirmed that modifying the Constitution was an exclusive right of the legislative branch.
“Judges take an oath under the Constitution; they are not a political party that will resign if the Constitution is changed,” he said. “The Constitution will not be the one that conforms to their (the judges’) wishes, but to those of the parliament and the people of Pakistan.”
He went on to say that “everything (the judges) – from their salaries to their decisions – is decided by parliament”, arguing that those who resigned had been “biased” and had made “political” judgments.
Chaudhry also mocked the past conduct of the judiciary, referencing former Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial’s comment to Imran Khan during court proceedings last year. “There have been many extensions of ‘it’s good to see you,’ but the atmosphere is not the same,” he joked.
The minister of state criticized “the excessive use of suo motu powers” by the judiciary, saying judges had used them “to send prime ministers home” and attack governments at will.
Commenting on the PTI’s decision to boycott the upcoming by-elections in Faisalabad, he said the party avoided contests “wherever there was considerable opposition”.
The state minister’s statement comes three days after the 27th Amendment was enacted following approval by both houses of parliament, despite strong resistance from opposition parties.
On November 13, the day the amendment was enacted, Supreme Court Justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Athar Minallah submitted their resignations, denouncing the legislation as an “assault” on the Constitution and a move that weakened the judiciary.
A day later, Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza resigned from the Lahore High Court, also citing the amendment, and more resignations are possible at the Islamabad High Court.
