Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah said on Monday that the government would soon introduce the 28th Constitutional Amendment and expressed confidence that parliament would approve it. He spoke to journalists in Chiniot and stated that the proposed amendment would cover local bodies, the National Finance Commission (NFC) and health matters. He added that discussions were already in progress and that the government would move ahead once consensus was reached.

Sanaullah’s remarks came shortly after the ruling PML-N-led coalition passed the 27th Constitutional Amendment, which introduced changes to the judicial structure and military command. The amendment triggered strong reactions within the judiciary, leading to a wave of resignations.

The adviser referred to the resignations submitted by two Supreme Court judges and one judge from the Lahore High Court. He said parliament holds full constitutional authority to pass amendments, while judges are bound by oath to respect those decisions. According to him, it does not suit any judge to take part in political protests. He claimed that those who resigned did so due to “personal motives.”

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Supreme Court Justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Athar Minallah resigned last week, issuing sharply worded letters to President Asif Ali Zardari. They criticised the 27th Amendment as a “grave assault on the Constitution of Pakistan.” The federal government rejected these claims, calling the judges’ statements “political speeches” and their allegations “unconstitutional.”

Two days later, Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza of the Lahore High Court also stepped down. He said he was resigning “in protest against the newly-enacted 27th Constitutional Amendment.”