Hyderabad, Nov. 29 -- United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has warned that Pakistan's newly adopted 27th Constitutional Amendment could undermine judicial independence and weaken core legal safeguards that protect the rule of law.

In a statement on Friday, November 28, Turk said the amendment - like the 26th Amendment passed last year - was adopted without broad consultation or meaningful debate with the legal community and civil society. He warned that the reforms introduce major structural changes that may expose the judiciary to political influence.

He noted that the shift of constitutional matters to a new Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), combined with increased executive influence over judicial appointme...