Pakistan rejects UN warning over lifetime immunity for military chief

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ISLAMABAD — 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 Asim Munir and other top officials from prosecution for life, has raised alarm among rights group.

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".

In its Sunday statement, the foreign ministry in Islamabad called the remarks "baseless" and said "it is regrettable that Pakistan's views and ground realities were not reflected".

Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation of more than 250 million people, has long struggled to balance civilian authority with the military's role in politics.

Widely seen as Pakistan's most powerful institution, the military has governed the country for nearly half its existence via a series of coups since independence in 1947.