- Deputy PM vows robust debate, no ‘haphazard’ passage of bill, saying govt consulting PPP and promising to take all allies on board
- Dar urges tabling of amendment first in Senate for ‘professional input’
- PPP to finalise stance after CEC meeting, says Sherry Rehman as Bilawal confirmed govt approached party
- DPM Dar blames 2021 policy on Taliban for current cross-border tensions
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday confirmed that the much-debated 27th Constitutional Amendment will be formally tabled in Parliament soon, assuring opposition lawmakers that the process will be transparent, inclusive, and fully compliant with constitutional procedure.
Speaking during the Senate session, Dar said the government was committed to ensuring “robust debate and scrutiny” through parliamentary committees before any voting takes place.
“Of course, the government is bringing it and will bring it … the 27th Amendment will arrive and is about to arrive. We will try that it is tabled in accordance with principles, laws and the Constitution,” he said.
He assured PTI Senator Barrister Ali Zafar that the amendment would not be rushed through Parliament, adding, “It will not be that the amendment is tabled and there is voting in a haphazard, ad hoc manner—this will not happen.”
The remarks come amid intense political speculation after the PPP claimed the government had sought its support for the proposed constitutional changes, triggering a nationwide debate over possible implications for provincial autonomy and the 18th Amendment.
Dar clarified that the government was following the standard legislative process, consulting the PPP as its “largest coalition partner,” while pledging to take other allies on board before presenting the draft.
“I have had at least three rounds [of consultations], and the law minister has also held [consultations],” he said.
Responding to PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s post on X announcing that his party had been approached, Dar said Bilawal had “a complete right” to share his views publicly. “The areas he identified are not in the air. Let me also confess, there have been discussions on those topics.”
Dar urged Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar to table the amendment first in the Senate, which he said “has more professionalism and value input” than the National Assembly. He also requested Senate Deputy Chairman Syedaal Khan Nasar to expedite the appointment of the opposition leader in the Upper House, terming it essential for balanced parliamentary proceedings.
The deputy prime minister further assured that all stakeholders would be consulted, saying, “The process will be transparent.”
Pakistan-Afghanistan relationship
Turning to foreign affairs, Dar expressed concern over the deteriorating Pakistan-Afghanistan relationship, lamenting that past missteps had worsened the security situation.
He criticised the former government’s outreach to the Taliban, saying:
“We went there and said: ‘I’m here for a cup of tea’ … but that cup of tea proved to be very costly for us. It opened the borders again—35,000 to 40,000 Taliban who had fled came back, and 100 hardened criminals who had burnt the Pakistani flag in Swat were released. This was the biggest mistake.”
Dar said the fallout had pushed Pakistan “back to 2012” in terms of security challenges. Referring to ongoing talks with Kabul, he revealed that Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi had called him “six times a day earlier,” to which he replied:
“We asked only one thing of you—that there should be no terrorist activities from your soil in our country. Even a supporter like me, who wants to help you as a neighbour and Muslim brother, is now helpless.”
PPP’s position
Meanwhile, PPP Senator Sherry Rehman said her party would announce its official stance after a meeting of the Central Executive Committee (CEC).
Speaking on a TV channel, she downplayed concerns about the amendment threatening provincial autonomy, saying there was “absolute clarity” in the PPP on the issue.
She added that both parties had agreed that the proposed amendment would go to subcommittees for deliberation, with all proceedings taking place “in the public eye.”
“It was decided that Bilawal would make his post and share the information transparently with the public,” she said.
Two-thirds majority hurdle
Under the Constitution, any amendment requires a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament.
In the 336-member National Assembly, the ruling coalition holds 233 seats, while the opposition has 103. Within the coalition, the PML-N has 125 seats, PPP 74, MQM 22, PML-Q five, IPP four, and PML-Z, BAP, and NPP one each.
In the 96-member Senate, the coalition holds 61 seats, short of the 64 required to pass an amendment, meaning it would need at least three opposition votes, likely from the JUI-F, to ensure passage.
