Treasury and opposition members trade barbs over proposed amendment but sharply disagree over its implications
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry addresses the National Assembly during Wednesday’s session. Photo:
Heated exchanges broke out in the National Assembly on Wednesday as lawmakers debated the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment. Treasury Benches rejected claims that the government intended to roll back the 18th Amendment as both sides traded barbs throughout the session over the scope and intent of the proposed amendment.
Speaking on the floor, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry rejected what he called “false and misleading propaganda” suggesting the government was seeking to roll back the 18th Amendment. “Let me make it absolutely clear: There is no measure to repeal the 18th Amendment under the 27th Amendment. Such politically motivated propaganda must stop,” he said.
Chaudhry stressed that the government, the ruling party or the prime minister have no intention of weakening the provinces. “There will be no measure that weakens the federation or the provinces,” he reiterated, urging lawmakers to avoid speculation until the formal draft is presented.
He said the amendment bill would be tabled first in the Senate and then in the National Assembly, where members would have full opportunity to review, debate and propose changes. “Once the draft is presented, each member will have the opportunity to review its content and raise objections if necessary,” he said.
Read: 27th Amendment: What we know so far
He noted that the Constitution was a “living document” and that any amendment required a two-thirds majority in Parliament. “Consensus is desirable, but constitutionally amendments are approved with a two-thirds majority,” he said, adding that the proposed changes were aimed at strengthening the federation and promoting inter-provincial cooperation.
Responding to criticism over the government’s legitimacy, Chaudhry said that while elections in all eras were subject to scrutiny, the current assemblies had a legal mandate. “If anyone has doubts about the election results, they should go to court instead of questioning the authority of Parliament,” he said.
Highlighting national priorities, the minister said the consultations would also cover the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, demographic challenges and a uniform curriculum, which he described as a requirement of the times. However, despite the government’s assurances, opposition benches expressed strong reservations about the amendment, saying the move put the entire federation at risk.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Advocate Gohar Ali Khan said the proposed amendment posed a risk to national unity. “There is widespread concern across the country that the federation is attacking the provinces,” he said, reminding the House that the government had come to power with just 16 seats.
“Constitutional amendments are a serious matter,” he said, noting that India has amended its constitution 106 times. “The 18th Amendment was passed unanimously and celebrated by the people, but we have serious reservations about four clauses of the 26th Amendment. At that time, the amendments that were left out of the 26th Amendment, you intended to continue them. This was proof that by passing the 26th Amendment, you believed that it went against the Constitution and violated the sanctity of the federation. Those amendments were being pushed, and At that time, you had attacked the However, now the entire Federation is being put at risk,” he stated.
Barrister Gohar added that the provinces were still waiting for the 11th NFC award and warned that the PTI would protest from within the Assembly. He highlighted that the central problem currently facing the federation is the unresolved NFC Award, noting that the provinces are still waiting for the 11th award, which has not yet been announced.
“The most serious issue before us today is the NFC Award,” Gohar said. “The provinces have been waiting for the 11th concession, but the seventh concession keeps being extended. Under the 18th Amendment, it needed to be reviewed in 2010, but that never happened, and the eighth and ninth concessions also failed to take shape.”
He warned that altering this agreement or reducing provincial participation could destabilize the entire federal structure and undermine the spirit of provincial autonomy. “When the 18th Amendment was passed in 2010, it was clearly ensured that the provinces’ share of any new NFC award would never be less than before,” he said. “Any attempt to reduce that proportion or concentrate powers in the hands of a few individuals would endanger the federation itself,” he added.
Read also: No vote counting issue for 27th Amendment: Vawda
Lawyer Gohar stated that the right to amend the Constitution belongs only to those who have a genuine public mandate. “You don’t have that mandate,” he told the Treasury benches. He also urged the authorities to notify Mahmood Khan Achakzai as opposition leader, saying that the PTI had filed a petition with the support of 74 members. “He is our opposition leader,” he said.
Pointing to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, he criticized the ban on transportation of wheat to the province and said the KP chief minister had been denied permission to meet PTI founder Imran Khan. “We urge the spokesperson to issue a ruling,” he added.
Separately, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar condemned what he described as “regrettable” dismissals of media workers by certain private media outlets.
He said the government was ensuring timely payments to media outlets and the benefits should reach journalists. He said a demand letter would be given to the Pakistan Broadcasters Association and digital media still lacked a regulatory framework.
