PPP rejects key proposals in 27th amendment

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) rejected the proposed 27th constitutional amendment as the party's top policy-making body made it clear on Thursday that there would be no compromise on provincial autonomy or the provincial share in the National Finance Commission (NFC).

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari told reporters late Thursday night that the PPP Central Executive Committee (CEC) would continue its deliberations on Friday (today), adding that final decisions would be announced after the meeting.

The PPP-CEC convened to discuss the proposed 27th amendment, with President Asif Ali Zardari and senior party leader Faryal Talpur also in attendance. The main agenda was to determine whether the party should support the government's proposed constitutional changes.

Bilawal said a delegation from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, had approached the PPP seeking support for the 27th Amendment.

"In response, we convened a meeting of the Central Executive Committee to deliberate the matter," he said. "The PPP will support only the amendment related to Article 243, while all other points have been rejected," he added.

"The government has proposed an amendment to Article 243 to rename the position of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and introduce a new post of National Strategic Command. The PPP's Central Executive Committee has authorised me to announce that the party supports only this amendment. All other points have either been completely rejected or discussions on them will continue tomorrow."

Commenting on the proposal to establish a Constitutional Court, Bilawal reiterated the party's long-standing position that such a body must ensure equal representation of all provinces. "Even in the context of the Charter of Democracy, our party's position remains that we are not ready to compromise on equal representation of all four provinces," he said.

He noted that while the Charter of Democracy did refer to the formation of a Constitutional Court, "There were other matters included in the Charter as well." He said the PPP's CEC would meet again on Friday to continue discussions and reach a final decision regarding the proposed Constitutional Court.

Earlier this week, Bilawal revealed in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that the government's proposals included provisions for establishing a Constitutional Court, reviving executive magistrates, and transferring judges.

He added that the amendment also sought to remove the protection of the provinces' share in the NFC, amend Article 243 - which pertains to the armed forces - return education and population planning to the federation, and address the deadlock over appointments in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

"The Peoples Party rejects the constitutional clause that would end the protection of the NFC Award," Bilawal told reporters after the first day of the CEC meeting. "The party will support only the amendment related to Article 243, while all other points have been rejected."

An extraordinary and lengthy session of the PPP-CEC was held at Bilawal House, chaired by Bilawal, with President Zardari participating by special invitation. CEC members from across the country attended the meeting.

The committee discussed in detail the draft of the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment presented by the government, along with other important national issues and the country's future political direction. According to insiders, senior members spent several hours deliberating on key points.

Party sources said most members expressed concerns over ongoing speculation about scrapping the 18th Amendment and shared various reservations. However, the senior leadership assured them that the PPP remained firmly committed to its long-standing stance on provincial autonomy.

"All decisions will be made with great caution and mutual consultation," a source quoted the senior leadership as saying. The leadership emphasised that the PPP had always prioritised national interests over political gain and would continue to do so in the future, the source added.

Another source revealed that the PPP's legal experts had already reviewed the draft and presented their opinions to the party's political committee. The CEC members expressed generally positive views on most points of the proposed amendments.

On the matter concerning the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), several members suggested that the process for appointing the Chief Election Commissioner and other members should be made more efficient and transparent.

Many members raised questions about a possible reduction in the provinces' shares in the NFC Award, according to insiders. They were assured, however, that the PPP's position on provincial autonomy and the NFC Award would be upheld.

Senior leaders informed the meeting that discussions on the matter had already been held with the ruling PML-N and other stakeholders. The party will also engage other parliamentary groups to build consensus on the amendment, aiming for a consensus-based constitutional reform.