• Khawaja Asif expects ‘clarity on consensus’ within two to three days
• Justifies changes to Article 243 as defence needs ‘have changed’
• Latest tweaks not meant to roll back 18th Amendment, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry tells NA
ISLAMABAD: Clarity on a consensus over the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment is expected within two to three days, after which the legislation is likely to be tabled in parliament next week, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Wednesday.
Separately, the National Assembly was also assured that the 18th Amendment would not be rolled back through the new legislation.
Speaking to Geo News, Mr Asif said consultations were underway on amendments to the law governing the armed forces as the government considers constitutional changes. He stressed that discussions on amending Article 243 were ongoing because “defence requirements have changed”.
Article 243 of the Constitution provides that the federal government “shall have control and command of the armed forces” and that “the supreme command of the armed forces shall vest in the president”.
Earlier, speaking to the media outside parliament, Mr Asif said he could not share details about reservations or discussions concerning the 27th Amendment.
He added that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had every right to express his views and that the government was engaging other parties in the same spirit to seek input.
‘Guesswork’
Meanwhile, responding to points raised by opposition members in the National Assembly, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry urged an end to “negative and false propaganda” and denounced attempts to make the 27th Amendment controversial based on “assumptions and guesswork” as an official draft has yet to see the light of day.
He said there was no plan to take control of provincial educational institutions or boards. “We are just talking about a uniform syllabus,” he said.
The minister said no step would be taken that weakened the federation, the provinces or their relationship. “The purpose is to improve governance, bolster defence and strengthen ties between the federation and the provinces,” he remarked.
He added that allies and all stakeholders would be taken on board and that matters relating to the NFC would be decided through consultation.
Regretting that the 26th Amendment, passed last year, had also been portrayed as an attack on judicial independence, he said a separate constitutional court, as proposed in the 27th Amendment, would help reduce case backlogs. He noted that establishing such a court had been agreed upon in the Charter of Democracy, signed by the PML-N and the PPP in 2006.
He stressed that constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority, not consensus, and said the spirit of the Constitution would be upheld.
Call for consensus
Earlier, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said constitutional amendments should be passed with consensus, as happened in the neighbouring country in the past.
He argued that the 27th Amendment would run counter to the spirit of the Constitution and warned the government against dividing the nation. “It will further jeopardise the independence of the judiciary,” he said.
Barrister Gohar said the government was putting the federation at risk by pushing the amendment, adding that it would be inappropriate to claw back population and education from the provinces.
“These subjects were devolved to the provinces with the passage of the 18th Amendment,” he noted. He also questioned why a draft of the 27th Amendment had been leaked.
He said the opposition had proposed Mahmood Khan Achakzai as leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, submitting his name to the speaker’s office with signatures of 72 MNAs. “As per rules, the speaker should name the opposition leader; otherwise, I shall request Mr Achakzai to occupy the seat himself,” he said.
He also recalled the Supreme Court’s 2022 judgement directing the federal government to legislate within 45 days to provide civilians convicted by military courts the right to appeal in the civilian judiciary, and called for its implementation.
In his speech, Malik Aamir Dogar demanded that the chair immediately name Mr Achakzai as leader of the opposition under the rules.
Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa, who was chairing the proceedings, suggested the opposition visit the speaker’s office to discuss the issue, as a case in this regard was in court.
Journalists’ walkout
Also on Wednesday, reporters covering the proceedings of the National Assembly also staged a walkout from the Press Gallery before start of Question Hour, to protest recent sacking of employees from a number of TV channels and curbs on media freedom.
Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah sent Information Minister Attaullah Tarar to negotiate with the protesting journalists.
Speaking on the occasion, Parliamentary Reporters Association (PRA) MB Soomro expressed his serious concerns over the recent sackings of a number of media workers from TV channels and various media organisations. He also in a forceful manner drew the attention of the minister towards the suspension of the government advertisements to Daily Dawn.
Later, speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, the minister expressed concern over the dismissal of journalists by several media organisations without prior notice or valid justification. He said the issue would be raised during a meeting with media owners scheduled for next week.
“We have ensured that timely payments are made to media houses, and we expect that these financial benefits will also reach working journalists and media staff,” he said.
Mr Tarar said a delegation of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) had met him to present a charter of demands. These demands will be discussed with media owners, including the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) and All Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS), in the upcoming meeting to find a lasting solution, he added.
Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2025
