‘No issue of numbers’ for 27th Amend passage: Vawda

• Senator Vawda meets JUI-F chief, claims proposed constitutional amendment has sufficient parliamentary support for passage
• Rules out rollback of 18th Amendment, insisting proposed amendment will strengthen security, governance
• Describes JUI-F chief as ‘a strong politician’ playing a key role in national mainstream, saying Fazl will review and understand draft’s clauses

ISLAMABAD: Senator Faisal Vawda on Wednesday asserted that the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment had sufficient parliamentary support for passage, dismissing concerns over coalition numbers, and made it clear that the 18th Amendment would not be rolled back.

“Let me tell you one more thing: preliminary discussions have already begun on proposals for a 28th Amendment,” Vawda reveals while speaking to reporters after a meeting with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman at his residence in Islamabad.

He asserted there was “no issue of numbers” for the amendment’s approval, adding that Rehman would review and understand the draft’s clauses.

“Maulana Sahib is very important for Pakistan’s survival and security,” he said, describing the JUI-F chief as “a strong politician” playing a key role in the national mainstream. The meeting, he said, was part of ongoing political consultations over the proposed constitutional changes.

اسلام آباد:سینیٹر فیصل واوڈا کی امیر جےیوآئی مولانا فضل الرحمان کی رہائشگاہ آمد
فیصل واوڈا کی مولانا فضل الرحمان سے ملاقات
ملکی سیاسی صورتحال پر تبادلہ خیال
ملاقات میں جےیوآئی کے مرکزی ترجمان اسلم غوری شریک pic.twitter.com/dwegJC5tH0

— Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Pakistan (@juipakofficial) November 5, 2025

Vawda maintained that consultations were continuing with various political parties and that he had already initiated work on the next phase of constitutional reform. “As the country progresses, amendments will continue to come,” he remarked, indicating that necessary provisions for national security and administrative efficiency would be incorporated.

He said the 27th Amendment would include measures concerning transfers, postings, and age-related provisions, but stressed that it did not seek to alter the 18th Amendment. “The government is already providing Rs2 trillion to the provinces,” he said, adding that consensual adjustments “would not be harmful” to the devolution framework.

Referring to Article 243 of the Constitution, the senator said it was not limited to armed conflict on land but also encompassed economic and cyber domains. “If we need to empower all three services, we will do so — we will strengthen them so that defence is secure,” he emphasized.

Vawda expressed confidence that the 27th Amendment would pass “without difficulty.” “If there is any ambiguity, ‘flight on board’ is available,” he said cryptically, adding that Fazlur Rehman would make his own decision after reviewing the draft.

Commenting on the broader political landscape, Vawda said the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was the “guarantor of the system” and would not allow any rollback of democratic or constitutional processes. He suggested that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) should also be taken into confidence, though it would be “PTI’s choice” whether to join consultations.

The senator also spoke about shifting political alliances, saying the 27th Amendment “has taken off,” while lauding former president Asif Ali Zardari as “a major political player” alongside PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. He praised Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for “rising from the grassroots” and urged PTI to “engage in positive politics” if it wished to be part of the amendment process.

Vawda concluded that the series of amendments being discussed were aimed at reinforcing Pakistan’s governance, security, and constitutional stability, asserting that “national interest must remain the guiding principle” for all political actors involved.