26th Constitutional Amendment MCQs with Answers

26th Constitutional Amendment MCQs — Pakistan 2024 Current Affairs

26th Constitutional Amendment MCQs are among the most important current-affairs topics tested in Pakistan’s CSS, FPSC, PPSC, PMS, NTS, and One Paper exams in 2025–2026. The Constitution (Twenty-Sixth Amendment) Act, 2024 — popularly called the Judicial Package — was ratified by President Asif Ali Zardari on 21 October 2024 and is the single biggest constitutional overhaul of Pakistan’s judiciary since the 18th Amendment (2010).

This free collection gives you 50+ solved 26th Amendment MCQs with answers covering every testable fact: dates of passage, vote counts, the new process for appointing the Chief Justice of Pakistan, the 12-Member Parliamentary Committee, the restructured Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), the new Constitutional Benches in the Supreme Court and High Courts, the fixed 3-year tenure of the CJP, the deadline for complete elimination of Riba by 1 January 2028, the criticism from the International Commission of Jurists, and the appointment of Chief Justice Yahya Afridi on 26 October 2024.

Quick Facts about the 26th Constitutional Amendment Act 2024

Topics Covered in These 26th Amendment MCQs

• Passage & Ratification — dates in Senate, National Assembly, and Presidential assent
• Appointment of Chief Justice of Pakistan — role of the 12-Member Parliamentary Committee, panel of three senior-most judges, PM’s forward, President’s approval
• Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) — new composition, Chairman, members from judiciary, parliament, legal fraternity
• Constitutional Benches — new benches in the Supreme Court (Article 191A) and High Courts (Article 202A) with equal provincial representation
• CJP Tenure — fixed 3-year term, retirement age 65
• Riba (Interest) Elimination — 1 January 2028 deadline under Article 38(f)
• International Reaction — criticism by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)
• Political context — coalition vote (PML-N, PPP, MQM-P, JUI-F), PTI opposition, role of Maulana Fazlur Rehman
• Chief Justice Yahya Afridi — oath date, province, judges skipped (Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar)

Why the 26th Amendment Matters for CSS, PMS & PPSC 2025–2026

In Pakistan’s competitive exams, current affairs MCQs on the 26th Constitutional Amendment carry exceptionally high weight because:

• It reshapes the separation of powers between the judiciary and parliament — a core constitutional concept tested in CSS Essay, Current Affairs, Political Science, and Constitutional Law.
• It is the most recent major amendment to the 1973 Constitution — PPSC, FPSC, NTS and PMS examiners consistently ask about the latest constitutional changes.
• It introduces entirely new institutions (Constitutional Benches) and a new CJP appointment process — completely rewriting what you studied in older Pakistan Studies / Constitutional Law books.
• The Riba elimination deadline of 1 January 2028 directly ties into Islamic Studies, Pakistan Studies, and Economics questions.

How the CJP Appointment Process Changed

Before the 26th Amendment, the Chief Justice of Pakistan was appointed by strict seniority — the most senior Supreme Court judge automatically became CJP. Under the new law, the process is:

1. The Supreme Court identifies the three most senior judges.
2. A 12-Member Parliamentary Committee (8 from National Assembly + 4 from Senate, proportionally representing government and opposition) picks one of the three.
3. The Committee forwards the name to the Prime Minister.
4. The Prime Minister sends it to the President of Pakistan for final approval and oath.

This is why the appointment of CJP Yahya Afridi — who was the third most senior judge — meant the committee skipped Justice Mansoor Ali Shah (1st) and Justice Munib Akhtar (2nd). It is the first time in Pakistan’s history that the seniority principle has been formally bypassed through constitutional authority.

Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) After the 26th Amendment

The reconstituted JCP under Article 175A now consists of:

• Chief Justice of Pakistan — as Chairman
• Three senior-most judges of the Supreme Court
• Federal Minister for Law and Justice
• Attorney General for Pakistan
• A nominee of the Pakistan Bar Council (at least 15 years of Supreme Court practice)
• Two members from the National Assembly
• Two members from the Senate of Pakistan

The JCP nominates judges of the Supreme Court, High Courts, the Federal Shariat Court, and now the Constitutional Benches.

Constitutional Benches — A New Feature

One of the most significant innovations of the 26th Amendment is the creation of Constitutional Benches:

• At the Supreme Court (new Article 191A) — hears all constitutional petitions and cases involving interpretation of the Constitution.
• At the High Courts (new Article 202A) — mirrors the Supreme Court design at provincial level.
• Judges are nominated by the JCP, with equal representation from all four provinces.
• The senior-most judge of each Constitutional Bench serves as its Presiding Officer.

Riba (Interest) Elimination Deadline

The 26th Amendment reinforced Article 38(f) of the Constitution by fixing a binding deadline of 1 January 2028 for the complete elimination of Riba from Pakistan’s economy. This aligns with the 2022 Federal Shariat Court ruling, giving constitutional backing and a hard timeline — a high-frequency CSS/PMS Islamic Studies and Economics MCQ.

International Criticism

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), based in Geneva, publicly criticized the 26th Amendment as a “blow to judicial independence, the rule of law, and the protection of human rights”. Several domestic bar associations and opposition parties (notably PTI) echoed similar concerns during and after the parliamentary vote.