Pakistan rejects UN warning over legal immunity for military chief

Pakistan dismissed on Sunday a warning by the UN rights chief of potential “far-reaching consequences” for the rule of law in granting the head of the all-powerful military legal immunity.

The foreign ministry said Pakistan was “fully committed to protecting … basic freedoms and the rule of law as enshrined in the constitution,” responding to criticism from UN rights chief Volker Turk.

A constitutional amendment approved by parliament earlier this month, shielding Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and other top officials from prosecution for life, has raised alarm among rights groups.

The change also created a new Federal Constitutional Court, stripping the Supreme Court of some of its powers and tightening oversight of judges.

“These changes, taken together, risk subjugating the judiciary to political interference and executive control,” Turk said in a statement on Friday.

He warned of a risk of “far-reaching consequences for the principles of democracy and rule of law which the Pakistani people hold dear.”