Opposition alliance vows to block 27th Amendment, calling it threat to Pakistan’s foundations
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ishaq Dar addresses the National Assembly session. Photo: Facebook/File
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar reaffirmed the government’s commitment to introducing the 27th constitutional amendment, stressing that the initiative is entirely government-led and “is not parachuted out of nowhere.”
Clarifying the government’s position on the proposed amendment and addressing questions about its origin, he stressed that the initiative was entirely government-led. “This amendment belongs to the government, and it is its responsibility to present it,” he declared Tuesday during a session in the Senate.
“It is not parachuted out of nowhere – we are discussing it with our allies and will also consult other stakeholders, including legal forums. You never know where a pearl of wisdom might come from that could help make the amendment even better,” he assured.
He said the proposed amendment could be presented first to the Senate rather than the National Assembly, as is the usual practice. “Normally, such matters are presented to the National Assembly, but if you want to see them sooner, I can request the government to submit them to the Senate first. This way, we can review it here and make valuable additions. I am ready for that – there is more professionalism and valuable contribution in this house,” he remarked.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment, Dar said, “The 27th Amendment is coming – there is no doubt whether it will be passed or not. We will bring it forward in accordance with the principles and the law. Members of Parliament will have every right to give their views, debate it thoroughly, and the amendment will also be referred to the committee. If the committee recommends that it be discussed in the other House as well, we will do so as well. The government has no reservations. It will not be an amendment which will be hastily passed for a quick vote.”
Read: Shehbaz led PML-N delegation approached PPP to support 27th amendment: Bilawal
“I also saw the tweet of (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. He is our ally, a politician and the chairman of a major political party – he has every right to express his views. We are following a proper process. Right now, we are sitting with our biggest ally, the PPP, and I have already had at least three rounds of discussions with them. The law minister has also held several meetings.”
“The areas identified by Bilawal Sahib are not random. Let me confess that these areas have been discussed in detail. He has not mentioned anything which was not discussed with us. We and the PPP have reached an agreement on certain points, and now we are integrating our other allies,” Dar said.
He added that other coalition partners, including Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan, Awami National Pakistan and Balochistan Awami Party, would also be taken into confidence. “We will consult all our allies in accordance with the procedure and then table the final document,” he said.
Dar assured Opposition Senator Ali Zafar, saying, “I want to assure Honorable Ali Zafar that this process will be completely transparent,” while adding that he assures the House that whatever the process, it will remain transparent. “As I said here, we will try to present the amendment to this House as soon as possible, and then the process will take its course. »
He also suggested that the amendment be referred to the law committee for further deliberation. “The committee brings more focus and wisdom to the process. I would also request that the Chairman of the Law Committee, Farooq H Naek, invite the members of the Law Committee of the other House so that this becomes a joint parliamentary exercise, allowing for full participation and significant value addition,” he said.
Opposition vows to block 27th Amendment
Opposition alliance Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Ain Pakistan has announced that it will not allow the 27th constitutional amendment to be passed, warning that it would have “disastrous consequences” and could “shake the very foundations of the country”. The statement came after an emergency meeting of the alliance, chaired by its president, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, to discuss the current political situation.
Addressing a press conference after the meeting in Islamabad, former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser said the opposition had met urgently in response to the recent developments surrounding the proposed amendment. “The Pandora’s box opened by the 27th Amendment is deeply alarming,” Qaiser said, criticizing a recent tweet by Bilawal, which he called “concerning.”
On Monday, Bilawal tweeted that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz delegation led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had called on President Asif Ali Zardari and him, seeking PPP’s support for the adoption of the 27th Amendment. He said the proposal includes: creation of a Constitutional Court, executive magistrates, transfer of judges, removal of protection of provincial share in the NFC, amendment of Article 243, return of education and population planning to the federation and breaking the deadlock in the appointment of the ECP.
Qaiser alleged that the PPP was complicit in what he called a “political farce”, saying decisions had already been made behind closed doors and public consultations were mere window dressing. Referring to the legacy of the PPP, he said, “There was a PPP of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who laid the foundation of the Constitution, and another under Benazir Bhutto who sacrificed for democracy. Today’s PPP, however, seems determined to bury democracy.”
He also attacked PML-N Supremo Nawaz Sharif during the press conference, questioning the disappearance of his slogan “Vote ko izzat do” (Respect the vote). “Where is this campaign now? » asked Qaiser. “What is the value of power gained by claiming it? Nawaz Sharif, who once claimed to be the champion of electoral respect, is now silent.”
The PTI chief revealed that the alliance had also shared its recommendations with Imran Khan and would issue a joint statement if a meeting was held. “We will fight for the supremacy of the Constitution and democracy, both in Parliament and among the people,” he promised.
Former senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar strongly condemned the proposed constitutional changes, saying “a system of coercion has been imposed in the country for some time.” He argued that citizens’ fundamental constitutional protections were being systematically undermined.
Criticizing the proposed amendment, he said details about it had come to light through a tweet from Bilawal, warning that these are the kind of measures that – intentionally or not – would shake the very foundations of the country.
He argued that if the goal is to create constitutional courts, there is no need to create new constitutional judiciaries. “If you want to create constitutional courts, then why was it necessary to create constitutional benches in the first place? When you created constitutional benches through the 26th amendment, you told the entire nation that it would improve the administration of justice in Pakistan.”
“If justice has not improved, if the people of Pakistan are still deprived of speedy justice, then why are you creating new constitutional courts now? We hear that the retirement age of these judges will be seventy years – that means you are creating an incentive, a temptation for judges,” he said.
“You offer rewards to those who toe the government’s line and punish those who dare to oppose it. This amendment will transform the justice system into one that values obedience over justice,” he added. He further warned of the resurgence of “colonial-era black laws” that could be used against the judiciary, media and other institutions.
He also claimed the Electoral Commission was becoming “a joke”, with further amendments planned for its appointments and several provincial powers being transferred to the federal level. “I saw some cabinet members crying during the meeting,” he said. “We have learned nothing from history.”
Khokhar issued a particularly harsh warning over proposed changes to Article 243, which governs the appointment of the army chief. He alleged that the amendment aims to introduce a new post of Commander-in-Chief, thereby restructuring Pakistan’s civil-military hierarchy.
“This decision would completely change the infrastructure of the country,” he said. “Are you handing the country over to someone else? What happened to the idea of civil supremacy? This amendment would place civil institutions under the authority of the establishment, thereby shaking the foundations of the nation,” he said.
He vowed that the opposition alliance would not allow such a move. “We will mobilize the media, civil society and all democratic forces to resist it. This month is crucial: we must prevent this illegitimate parliament from taking such reckless action.”
Former Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair also urged Nawaz Sharif to publicly oppose the 26th and 27th amendments. “I hope he rejects these proposals and persuades his brother to withdraw them,” he said.
