By Asif Naveed
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has instructed National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq to initiate consultations with political parties to build consensus on the 27th Constitutional Amendment, Geo News reported Wednesday.
According to sources, the federal government is preparing to table the proposed amendment that seeks to establish a Constitutional Court and introduce adjustments to the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award. It also proposes changes to Article 243, concerning the supreme command of the armed forces, along with other constitutional revisions.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari confirmed that the amendments would also cover provisions related to executive magistrates, judicial transfers, and revisions in the NFC Award’s protections for provincial shares.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar stated that consultations were ongoing with the Pakistan Peoples Party and other coalition allies, including MQM-P, ANP, and BAP. The NA Speaker has now called a meeting of parliamentary leaders to discuss the proposed reforms, scheduled to be held in the Speaker’s Lounge at Parliament House.
Invitations have been extended to all major political parties, including PTI and JUI-F. Sources said participants will be briefed on the contours of the amendment and discuss a joint strategy for its passage. “If consensus is not achieved, the government will rely on its own strength in the National Assembly,” an insider said.
Currently, the ruling coalition commands 237 votes in the National Assembly — enough to pass the amendment, which requires 224 votes. The PML-N holds 125 seats, PPP 74, MQM-P 22, PML-Q 5, IPP 4, while smaller parties and independents add to the total. In the Senate, where 64 votes are required, the government holds 61 and will need a few more to secure passage.
MQM-P Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said the amendment aims to strengthen governance and improve national harmony. Accompanied by Dr Farooq Sattar, he said empowering local governments and ensuring fair justice were crucial for the public. Sattar stressed that after provincial autonomy under the 18th Amendment, the next step should be “local autonomy.”
Separately, Senator Faisal Vawda met JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to discuss the draft. Vawda described the meeting as positive, saying it focused on “national stability, not numbers.” He emphasised that the 18th Amendment was not being rolled back but reviewed to meet modern defence challenges, including cyber and economic threats.
Maulana Fazl, meanwhile, said the JUI-F would respond only after the official draft was released, clarifying that speculation was pointless. He said Vawda’s meeting was a courtesy call and that his party would decide its stance after reviewing the final version of the amendment.
