DPM assures that the Senate project will follow due process; Consultations with all allies to precede legislation
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar. Photo: SCREEN
ISLAMABAD:
Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the House Ishaq Dar on Tuesday assured the Senate that the proposed 27th constitutional amendment was a government initiative and would be introduced only after thorough consultations with coalition partners.
The House met with Senator Manzoor Ahmad as Chairman as Senate President Yusuf Raza Gilani is currently acting as Chairman while the Vice President was unavailable. After procedural issues were addressed, the session witnessed a heated debate on the proposed amendment.
Speaking in response to a fiery speech by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentary leader, lawyer Ali Zafar, Dar emphasized that the amendment was a government initiative, not a proposal coming from outside.
He said the process would begin in the Senate before moving to the National Assembly to ensure detailed scrutiny. “My suggestion is that the 27th Amendment be introduced in the Senate first because there are numbers games in the National Assembly,” he said, adding that the bill would be referred to the Law and Justice Committee for review.
He highlighted that confidence was being taken in coalition partners including Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami National Party (ANP) and Balochistan Awami Party (BAP).
“We will move forward in accordance with the Constitution and the law, giving each member the right to debate and share their opinion,” he said. “Allies are kept informed and the draft will only be finalized after mutual agreement.”
Responding to lawyer Zafar’s comments on the absence of an opposition leader in the Upper House, Dar said the appointment was the constitutional responsibility of the Senate president. “Once the process is completed, the president must proceed accordingly,” he said.
Earlier, Zafar had told the House that his party had written to the President a week ago seeking the appointment of the opposition leader, but received no response. “All these procedures without an opposition leader are not appropriate,” he said.
The PTI leader also referred to PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s comments on the 27th Amendment, questioning whether the bill was genuinely initiated by the government or came from somewhere else.
The deputy chief minister said Bilawal, as president of a political party, had every right to tweet and his comments were not without reason. “What he said about the 27th Amendment has been disputed,” Dar added.
Reiterating the government’s position, Dar said the 27th Constitutional Amendment was being introduced by the government itself. “It is our amendment. Amendment 27 does not come by parachute; the government is presenting it,” he said. “He will not be hurried by rhetoric.”
Dar reaffirmed that it was the government’s constitutional duty to push for amendments transparently and with consensus. “There should be no confusion about who will introduce the bill,” he said. “It is the responsibility of the government and it will be done through parliament, not outside of it.”
During his speech, Dar also addressed regional and security issues, saying that Pakistan had sent more than 2,000 metric tons of aid to Gaza and was part of diplomatic efforts with seven other Muslim countries to secure a ceasefire and humanitarian access.
He also discussed Pakistan’s concerns regarding terrorism and relations with Afghanistan. He said that after the Taliban took power, Pakistan had repeatedly requested that Afghan soil not be used against it. “If war happens, the government’s decision is clear: we will fight until the last breath,” he said.
He added that groups such as the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) operated from across the border. He expressed hope that the next round of talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan on November 6 would produce progress.
The session, however, turned rowdy when PTI senators protested the delay in the appointment of the opposition leader. They tore copies of the agenda, shouted slogans and surrounded the president’s podium, interrupting the process.
Despite the commotion, the upper house continued to return to the legislative agenda. The Senate passed several key bills, including the Daanish School Authority Bill 2025, the King Hamad University of Nursing and Associated Medical Sciences Bill 2025 and the Asaan Karobar (Easy Business) Bill 2025.
The house also passed the Qanun-e-Shahadat (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and adopted a resolution extending the Virtual Assets Ordinance, 2025 by 120 days, moved by Federal Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazir Tarar.
