KARACHI: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has announced conditional support for the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment, signalling agreement with key provisions — particularly amendments to Article 243 governing the powers of the armed forces — while maintaining reservations over other aspects related to provincial autonomy, judicial reforms, and dual nationality.
Following a two-day meeting of the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) chaired by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at Bilawal House, the PPP confirmed that it would support the proposed amendment to Article 243 but seek further consensus on other constitutional reforms.
“I made it clear yesterday as well that the PPP will support Article 243 and will also vote in its favour,” Bilawal told reporters at a press conference in Karachi on Friday. “There are primarily three points in the constitutional amendment that the PPP is considering supporting — Article 243, the establishment of Constitutional Courts, and reforms in the process of judges’ transfer.”
The PPP chairperson described the amendment to Article 243 as a “key step in strengthening parliamentary oversight,” adding that discussions with the government were ongoing regarding other proposals.
He said the idea of Constitutional Courts originated from the PPP itself and was part of the Charter of Democracy (CoD), signed between the PPP and PML-N in 2006. “This initiative has been part of every PPP manifesto,” Bilawal said. “While we support the principle of forming Constitutional Courts, we also believe that other components of the Charter of Democracy must move forward to ensure balance.”
Bilawal stressed that any such court must guarantee equal representation of all provinces, reiterating that PPP “will not compromise on provincial equality.”
On the matter of judicial transfers, Bilawal said the PPP opposed the government’s plan to shift this authority solely to the parliamentary committee.
“We believe it would be more appropriate if the president initiates the process, and if a role is to be given to the Judicial Commission, that would be a suitable forum for serious discussion since it includes the chief justices and senior members of the judiciary,” he stated.
He suggested that both the incoming and outgoing chief justices should be members of the commission and that judges concerned should have the opportunity to present their case before a final decision is made.
Bilawal added that internal consultations were still underway on other proposed amendments, including those related to dual nationality and executive magistracy. “At this stage, I am not in a position to announce the PPP’s vote or support regarding the remaining proposed constitutional amendments,” he said.
A day earlier, the PPP had rejected proposals that could reduce provincial powers or alter the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award. Bilawal reaffirmed that his party “can never compromise on the financial rights of the provinces.”
“The Constitution says that the NFC share can only grow, not reduce,” he explained. “The PPP will defend this, and we are not ready to accept any change that diminishes provincial rights.”
He also defended Sindh’s local government system, claiming it provides “the most political, administrative, and financial autonomy among all provinces,” and criticized Punjab’s decision to abolish the office of the mayor.
The CEC meeting, attended by President Asif Ali Zardari and senior PPP leader Faryal Talpur, was convened to decide the party’s position on the government’s proposed constitutional package. According to Bilawal, the PML-N-led government, headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, had approached the PPP to seek its support for the amendment.
“The PPP will support only the amendment related to Article 243, while all other points have been either rejected or remain under discussion,” Bilawal said.
He noted that the government’s proposed changes to Article 243 include renaming the position of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and introducing a new post of National Strategic Command.
Fazl Warns Against Reducing Provincial Powers
Meanwhile, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has warned the government against any move to reduce provincial autonomy under the proposed 27th Amendment.
Speaking to the media on Friday, Fazl said that the 18th Amendment, passed unanimously by all parties, had significantly strengthened the federation and any attempt to reverse those gains would face strong opposition.
“We will not allow provinces’ rights to be undermined. The focus should be on increasing, not decreasing, provincial authority,” he stated.
Fazl added that no official draft of the 27th Amendment had yet been presented to Parliament, cautioning the government against trying to “forcibly secure a two-thirds majority.” He said any attempt to restore clauses withdrawn under the 26th Amendment would be unacceptable.
“In the 26th Amendment, the government had withdrawn 35 clauses. If the 27th Amendment reinstates these clauses, we will oppose it,” he warned.
