The passage of Pakistan’s National Commission for Minorities’ Rights Bill on December 3, 2025, by a joint sitting of Parliament, represents yet another instance of the state signalling reform while ensuring that no substantive alteration occurs in the legal and ideological structures underpinning systemic discrimination. Approved with 160 votes in favour against 79 opposed, the legislation was stripped of its most consequential provisions – suo motu powers and an overriding-effect clause –...

Pakistan's 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill, passed on November 8, 2025, marks a decisive transformation in the country's power structure, formally entrenching the military's dominance within the constitutional framework. File photo of Field Marshal Asim Munir. The amendment establishes the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), unifying command over the Army, Navy, and Air Force, while abolishing the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Though presented as a measure to enhance operational...