The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has firmly rejected the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment, reiterating that there will be no compromise on provincial autonomy or the provinces’ share in the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award.
Following a meeting of the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) on Thursday, Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari told reporters that deliberations would continue on Friday, after which the party would announce its final stance.
The high-level CEC session, held at Bilawal House, was attended by President Asif Ali Zardari, senior leader Faryal Talpur, and members from across the country. The main agenda was to determine whether the PPP should back the government’s proposed constitutional amendments.
PPP to Support Only Article 243 Amendment
Bilawal revealed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, leading a delegation from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), had reached out to the PPP seeking its support for the 27th Amendment.
“In response, we convened a meeting of the CEC to discuss the matter in detail,” Bilawal said. “The PPP will support only the amendment related to Article 243, while all other proposed changes have been rejected.”
He explained that the government’s draft amendment to Article 243 seeks to rename the position of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and introduce a new post titled National Strategic Command.
“The PPP’s CEC has authorised me to announce that the party supports this amendment alone. All other proposed changes have either been completely rejected or remain under discussion,” Bilawal stated.
Concerns Over Constitutional Court Proposal
Responding to the government’s proposal to establish a Constitutional Court, Bilawal reiterated the PPP’s long-standing position that such an institution must ensure equal representation of all four provinces.
“Even within the framework of the Charter of Democracy, our stance has always been clear — we will not compromise on provincial equality,” he said.
Bilawal added that while the Charter of Democracy did refer to forming a Constitutional Court, “there were several other conditions tied to it,” and the party would review the proposal further before making a final decision.
Rejection of Moves Affecting NFC and Provincial Powers
Earlier in the week, Bilawal had disclosed on social media that the government’s proposals included:
- Establishing a Constitutional Court,
- Reviving executive magistrates,
- Reassigning judges,
- Altering Article 243 (armed forces),
- Returning education and population planning to the federation, and
- Amending clauses related to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
He also warned that one of the proposals would remove constitutional protection for provincial shares in the NFC Award, a move the PPP “completely rejects.”
CEC Reaffirms Commitment to 18th Amendment
According to insiders, Thursday’s meeting featured extensive deliberations on the draft of the proposed amendment and its implications for provincial rights and the 18th Amendment.
Many CEC members expressed deep concern over reports suggesting possible rollbacks of provincial autonomy.
Party sources quoted senior leaders as saying that “all decisions will be made with great caution and mutual consultation”, reaffirming that the PPP has always prioritised national unity over political expediency.
Legal experts within the party also reviewed the government’s draft, presenting their analysis to the CEC. While members viewed some points positively, they maintained firm opposition to any clause undermining the NFC Award or provincial powers.
Next Steps and Consensus Building
The PPP leadership shared that consultations have already taken place with the ruling PML-N and other political stakeholders. The party intends to continue discussions with parliamentary groups to build a broad-based consensus on any constitutional reforms.
“The PPP remains steadfast in its defense of provincial autonomy and equitable distribution of resources,” a senior party member said. “We will continue our deliberations and announce final decisions once consultations conclude.”