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• Bilawal reveals consultations between ruling allies on fresh changes
• Proposal covers constitutional courts, NFC Award, ECP appointments
• PPP’s CEC to decide party stance in Nov 6 meeting
• NA, Senate sessions set to begin soon
• Ministers say consultations underway, but no final draft yet
• PTI vows to resist changes ‘tooth & nail’
ISLAMABAD: Speculation and debate over a possible 27th Constitutional Amendment reached fever pitch on Monday after the PPP claimed the government had sought its support for the proposed changes to the Constitution.
The development comes as National Assembly and Senate sessions are set to be convened on Tuesday (today) and Wednesday (tomorrow), respectively.
The proposed changes have sparked a nationwide debate, with political parties weighing their positions amid concerns that the move could roll back some powers devolved under the landmark 18th Constitution Amendment.
The opposition PTI has announced its intention to oppose the proposed amendment ‘tooth and nail’.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he said a PML-N delegation led by the prime minister had sought his and President Zardari’s support for the 27th Amendment.
The PPP chief later announced that the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) would meet on Nov 6 (Thursday) to examine the proposal which, according to him, touches on several issues settled under the 18th Amendment.
A separate PPP statement quoted Mr Bhutto-Zardari as saying that the proposal included setting up constitutional courts, restoring executive magistrates, matters related to the transfer of judges, ending the protection of provincial shares under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, and amending Article 243, which pertains to the command of the armed forces.
The PPP chairman added that the draft also envisaged returning the subjects of education and population planning to the federation and ending the deadlock over appointments to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). He said the PPP’s CEC would meet after President Zardari’s return from Doha to decide the party’s policy.
When contacted, a senior PPP leader said Mr Bhutto-Zardari had “reservations” about the proposed amendment, which was why he had called the CEC meeting. “If he had no objections, he would have given a green signal to the prime minister right away,” the leader said.
Political observers believe the PPP may initially resist the amendment but could eventually agree on the basis of political give and take — possibly including PML-N’s support for the formation of a new government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Government’s view
At a public event on Monday, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said that constitutional amendments required consensus. “As a two-thirds majority is necessary, political parties must sit together,” he said, referring to the prime minister’s recent meeting with the PPP leadership.
PM’s aide Rana Sanaullah revealed that the government had been consulting its coalition partners on the proposed 27th amendment for the past three to four months.
However, he maintained that the government had not yet shared the draft amendment with the PPP or other partners.
Responding to a question, he ruled out the possibility of its immediate passage, saying the government would hold detailed consultations with all stakeholders before tabling it in parliament.
When asked about the timeframe for introducing the 27th amendment, Mr Sanaullah said the government intended to prepare a draft that could be acceptable to all.
Regarding the proposed formation of a constitutional court — expected to be part of the amendment — he said it was the government’s firm stance that such a court was necessary for the country.
PTI opposes move
Commenting on the reports, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said his party would resist the proposed 27th amendment “tooth and nail”, asserting that the “regime lacked the legal, political, and moral authority to alter the Constitution”.
In the words of PTI leader Senator Ali Zafar, the PPP chairman had disclosed his meeting with the prime minister on social media merely to gauge public sentiment about the proposed amendment.
He claimed that although Mr Bhutto-Zardari had called a meeting of the PPP’s Central Executive Committee, he would eventually agree to the proposed amendment.
Two-thirds majority?
A constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority in both houses. In the 336-member National Assembly, the ruling coalition has 233 members, while the opposition holds 103. Within the coalition, the PML-N has 125 seats, PPP 74, MQM 22, PML-Q five, Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party four, and PML-Z, Balochistan Awami Party, and National Peoples Party one seat each.
In the Senate, which comprises 96 members, the ruling coalition does not enjoy the two-thirds majority of 64 senators required to pass a constitutional amendment. With 61 senators, the coalition would need at least three votes from the opposition to ensure its passage. In such situations, the government usually turns to the JUI-F to seek its support.
Ikram Junaidi also contributed to this report
Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2025
