Even the most powerful cannot undo the 18th Amendment (Bilawal)

Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the 18th constitutional amendment guaranteed provincial autonomy and no one had dared to undo it. “The 18th Amendment was adopted by consensus and no one has the courage to undo it,” Bilawal said while speaking at the NA session held on Wednesday to approve the 27th Amendment.

He said the 18th Amendment ensured provincial autonomy and strengthened the federation, terming it one of the greatest democratic achievements of his party after coming to power in 2008. “The Pakistan People’s Party adopted the 18th Amendment, granting the provinces their due powers and strengthening the federation,” he added.

Bilawal stressed that the amendment had cross-party support. “The 18th Amendment bears the signatures of not only the PPP and PML-N, but all political parties,” he noted, describing it as a historic act of unity in Pakistan’s democratic evolution.

He said: “We have the majority for the 27th Constitutional Amendment, but unfortunately there is no consensus on this point. » He added: “The draft amendment we received from the government was discussed at the meeting of the Central Executive Committee of our party. We considered it for two days and decided that we would support this amendment to fulfill the unfinished promises of the Charter of Democracy.”

The President said the PPP believed that the true strength of an amendment or law came not from the size of the majority that passed it, but from consensus. “The power of legislation is in agreement, not in numbers,” he said.

He added that during the era of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, all political parties came together to give the country a constitution – one that “no dictator could ever break”, he said.

Bilawal said the PPP had always played a key role in constitutional development and thanked the government for accepting the proposal to establish a Federal Constitutional Court, calling it a “historic achievement”.

He said the new court would ensure equal representation to all provinces, which would strengthen the federation. “The court that sentenced Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to death did not have equal representation at the provincial level,” he said. “This verdict shook the very foundations of the Pakistani federation, and we are still living with its consequences. Today, we are correcting this historic mistake.”

He added that the PPP and PML-N governments suffered under the suo motu powers of former Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry. “Suo motu opinions were taken on everything from the price of tomatoes to sugar,” he said. “Under this rule, elected prime ministers were humiliated and representatives were insulted. Even roadblocks were launched under the personal initiative of the chief justice.” “With this amendment, this chapter of judicial excess has ended,” he noted.

PPP supports changes to Section 243 under wartime conditions

The PPP chairman said the marshal and our armed forces were praised all over the world. “Our armed forces inflicted a crushing defeat on the Modi government; six Indian planes were shot down and with this defeat, Pakistan has gained a new international reputation and the nation feels stronger,” he said.

He added that the PPP had decided that the country was going through war conditions and in this context, “after the defeat, India hosted the foreign minister of Afghanistan, and what has happened since then on our borders and in our cities is before the entire nation.”

“In these circumstances, the PPP has decided to support the proposed amendments to Article 243 relating to the armed forces, and the party will support the granting of constitutional protection to the post of marshal,” he said.

Bilawal said empowerment of local governments is also part of their policy and the proposed amendment will be considered in this regard. “All provinces currently have local government systems,” he said. “In Sindh, the local government system has been given more powers than in other provinces.”

He also mentioned that there is consensus on South Punjab and if progress can be made, he would be happy to do so. “We will break the impasse in which the Electoral Commission finds itself in a democratic manner,” he added.

The PPP chairman appealed to the government and political parties, saying: “The power lies with the House and the political parties. The benefit of the government will come from the recommendations and proposals of all political parties.”

Bilawal added that it is not the job of the opposition to demand a leader. “The role of the opposition is to hold the government accountable and provide recommendations and proposals by sitting in committees,” he added.

He urged opposition parties to protest but not abandon the political process. “As long as politicians do not take control of their own destiny, neither this Assembly nor this country will function properly,” he concluded.