During recent talks between Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on the 27th Constitutional Amendment, the PPP reportedly demanded lifetime immunity for the President and the abolition of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
According to media reports, Article 248 of the Constitution currently provides the President immunity from criminal proceedings only during their term in office. However, PPP has reportedly sought an extension of this immunity for life, meaning no criminal proceedings could be initiated against the President even after leaving office.
The party also proposed extending similar immunity to the Prime Minister, governors, chief ministers, and federal ministers.
PPP senior leader Murtaza Wahab, part of the negotiation team with PML-N, told The News that the party wants to restore the original constitutional protections under Article 248, which were previously removed by former Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, and also include unimplemented provisions of the Charter of Democracy, particularly the restructuring or abolition of NAB.
Wahab added that points on which both parties have reached consensus have already been included in the draft of the 27th amendment. Controversial issues, including the abolition of NAB, remain under discussion but have not been rejected.
He noted that PML-N also supports the eventual abolition of NAB, in line with commitments made in the 2006 Charter of Democracy signed by both parties.
The final draft of the amendment will take shape after the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms completes its review, and the report is presented to the National Assembly and Senate.
