JUI-F, PPP push back against proposed 27th Amendment

— JUI-F to resist any move to curtail provincial powers guaranteed under 18th Amendment

— PPP draws a red line but supports amendments to Article 243

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) on Friday vowed to oppose the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill if there was any move to provincial autonomy guaranteed under the 18th Constitutional Amendment.

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Friday warned that his party would resist any move to curtail provincial powers guaranteed under the 18th Constitutional Amendment.

His remarks came a day after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with ruling coalition partners to secure support for the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment, which the government plans to introduce in the Senate soon.

“The provinces have a constitutional right to an increased NFC (National Finance Commission) award, not a reduced one,” Maulana Fazl said while speaking to reporters in Islamabad. “If provincial rights are taken away, the JUI-F will strongly oppose it.”

He said his party agreed “in principle” on certain points but would issue a detailed response once the draft amendment was made public. Commenting on proposed changes to Article 243 — which governs the command of the armed forces — he said: “If it affects democracy, the Constitution, or politics, we will reject it. If it is purely administrative, we will review it and decide accordingly.”

The JUI-F chief lamented that the country’s affairs were being run by a single institution, saying that “nothing will improve until we adopt collective thinking.” He urged greater coordination between parliament, its security committee, and other stakeholders to reach consensus-based decisions.

Referring to the 26th Amendment process, Fazl recalled that extensive parliamentary debate had led to the government withdrawing 35 clauses from the original draft. “We must not repeat practices that cast doubt on parliament’s representation of the people,” he cautioned.

Calling for “natural lawmaking,” he criticised the trend of rushed or self-serving legislation. “We often make unusual laws that society rejects. We should avoid misusing our authority,” he added.

The JUI-F leader noted that the 18th Amendment had been achieved through months of broad-based consultation. “When this [27th Amendment] is tabled, we will see how long the process takes,” he said, adding there were currently no plans to meet PPP leaders on the issue.

PPP Draws a Red Line but supports ‘amendments to Article 243’

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a key ally in the ruling coalition, reaffirmed its opposition to any attempt to reduce the provinces’ share in the NFC Award while expressing conditional support for limited amendments to Article 243.

Announcing the decisions of the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting at Bilawal House on Thursday night, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said the party “can never compromise on the financial rights of the provinces.”

“The PPP rejects the proposal for constitutional protection of the provinces’ share,” he said, adding that the CEC had, however, authorised support for certain revisions to Article 243.

“The government has proposed giving the Joint Chiefs of Staff a new designation, creating a position for Strategic Command, and introducing the title of Field Marshal,” he said. “The CEC has allowed me to support only this amendment.”

On the government’s proposal to establish a constitutional court, Bhutto-Zardari said the party had not yet reached a final decision and would continue internal deliberations before taking a formal position.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari later in the day said that his party would back amendments to Article 243 — which defines the powers and command structure of the armed forces — as part of the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment.

Speaking to the media after concluding a two-day meeting of the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC), Bilawal said the forum had also discussed the creation of constitutional courts and “agreed in principle” with the concept.

“In the 27th Amendment, the amendment to Article 243 must be accepted,” he said, adding that the proposal aligns with some of the unfinished commitments from the Charter of Democracy.

Bilawal noted that the CEC had reviewed “unfinished agenda items” from the Charter and expressed willingness to engage with the government to find common ground.
“We will engage with the government and see which other points we can reach a consensus on,” he said. “If we can reach an agreement on the pending Charter of Democracy points, it would be a welcome step.”

On the proposed mechanism for transferring judges, Bilawal said the PPP had shared its own recommendations with the government.
“The government’s suggestion is to remove consultation with the president and give the decision entirely to the parliamentary committee,” he said. “The PPP believes a better approach is for the president to initiate the transfer. If the Judicial Commission is to play a role, that’s acceptable — it’s a forum for serious debate where chief justices and senior judges are represented.”

Discussing the question of dual nationality, Bilawal said the party had yet to take a final position. “I am not in a position to vote on this right now,” he remarked, indicating differing opinions within the PPP on the matter.

Summarising the party’s stance, Bilawal said there were “three key areas” in the constitutional package that the PPP was considering supporting:
“First, the amendment to Article 243; second, the establishment of constitutional courts in consultation with the government; and third, the transfer of judges, provided that both the incoming and outgoing chief justices are members of the commission.”