What Are Pakistan's Controversial Constitutional Amendments?

Opposition parties and experts claim the proposed amendments could undermine the judiciary's independence.

Pakistan's government fell short of the required votes for a constitutional amendment, leading to the indefinite postponement of the parliamentary session [Anjum Naveed/AP].

Islamabad, Pakistan – Proposed constitutional amendments, reportedly designed to grant the political executive more control over the judiciary, have sparked a fresh confrontation between the government and opposition in Pakistan.

Following a weekend of intense political negotiations in the capital, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government was unable to secure opposition support for its "Constitutional Package," as the set of amendments is being called by Pakistani leaders and media.

Despite the setback, the government insists that the proposals to amend the Constitution are still on the table.

The opposition, primarily led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, has fiercely criticized the reforms, labeling them "unconstitutional" and claiming no draft of the changes was shared with them or the media.

Here’s a summary of the key proposals, the parliamentary numbers required for their passage, and the reasons behind the opposition’s refusal to cooperate:

**What are the proposed amendments?**

According to opposition statements and local media reports, the government’s package contains over 50 proposals, most of which target the judiciary.