PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Monday that a delegation led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had visited him and President Asif Ali Zardari, seeking their support for the approval of the 27th Constitutional Amendment.
Bilawal shared this in a post on social media platform X, further outlining the features comprising the proposed amendment.
His statement was also released by the PPP, in which he said the proposal included setting up constitutional courts, restoring executive magistrates and the matter of transfer of judges. It also included the end of safeguard for the provincial share under the National Finance Commission and amendments to Article 243 of the Constitution, which pertains to the command of armed forces, Bilawal was further quoted as saying.
He added that the proposed amendment also included a provision about the return of the subjects of education and population planning to the federation and a point about ending the stalemate regarding appointment to the election commisison.
Bilawal said a session of the PPP’s central executive committee had been called after President Zardari’s return from Doha on November 6 for deciding the party policy on the matter.
The government had last year passed the 26th Constitutional Amendment. It was passed by parliament during an overnight session in October 2024, with the PTI claiming seven of its lawmakers were abducted to gain their favour as the party opposed the legislation. The Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) also alleged its two senators were being pressured, with both later defying party line to vote in the tweaks’ favour.
The legislation, which altered judicial authority and tenure, has been a lightning rod for debate with both opposition parties and legal experts questioning its impact on the judiciary’s independence.
And even though the 26th Amendment remains mired in controversy and faces challenges in the court, the power corridors in Islamabad are abuzz with talk of a possible 27th Constitutional Amendment, which, according to the insiders, will further “fine-tune” the structure and the functioning of the superior judiciary.
According to a Dawn report, the matter of the proposed legislation also came up during an Oct 27 meeting between Bilawal and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
The report said the two leaders had met to discuss the prevailing political situation and formulate a joint strategy on key national issues.
JUI-F sources said that the focus of the discussion was to formulate a collective strategy related to new legislation and develop parliamentary cooperation between the PPP and the JUI-F. They claimed that Bilawal had stressed during the meeting the importance of the role of opposition parties in the upcoming legislation.
More to follow
