ISLAMABAD:
The federal government’s plans for a 28th constitutional amendment appeared to face early political resistance on Thursday after the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) said it had not been consulted on any proposed constitutional amendments, signaling further tensions within the ruling coalition over key legislative issues and the upcoming federal budget.
Speaking to reporters at the National Assembly after chairing a meeting of the PPP parliamentary party, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that although he and President Asif Ali Zardari remained in touch with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the government was yet to formally engage the PPP on new legislative projects.
He also highlighted the party’s central role in the coalition’s parliamentary strength, warning that constitutional amendments and the adoption of the budget would not be possible without the support of the PPP.
“The government has not contacted the PPP regarding any new constitutional amendment,” Bilawal said, adding that the party had not been taken into confidence on the issue.
Bilawal stressed that the PPP remained indispensable to the coalition’s parliamentary strength, saying major legislation could not be passed without the party’s support.
“The PPP was not consulted on the 28th amendment. The public is crushed by inflation and the next budget will bring new difficulties. Without the support of the PPP, constitutional amendments and adoption of the budget are impossible. The PPP will not support any amendment without my approval,” Bilawal added.
His remarks come at a time when any constitutional amendment would require a two-thirds majority in Parliament, making support from coalition partners essential for the government’s legislative agenda.
In this context, the PPP chairman’s statement added uncertainty to speculation around the proposed 28th Amendment and highlighted the importance of internal coalition consensus before making sensitive constitutional changes.
Although details of the proposed 28th Amendment have yet to be officially shared, discussions around the reported proposal have largely been viewed through the lens of centre-province relations and questions of tax distribution.
The PPP has historically opposed any measures perceived to undermine provincial autonomy or reduce the share or constitutional protections available to smaller provinces under the 18th Amendment.
Referring to the 26th and 27th constitutional adjustments, Bilawal said the PPP played a pivotal role in previous constitutional reforms while ensuring the protection of provincial rights.
“We have not allowed the rights of provinces to be reduced, but we have expanded them,” he said, citing increased representation of Balochistan in the Senate.
The PPP chairman also warned that the country was facing increasing economic pressure amid rising inflation, saying the upcoming federal budget was likely to bring further hardship to the public. He said the PPP had consistently pushed the government for relief measures and raised concerns about inflation at the federal and provincial levels.
In a move reflecting the party’s growing focus on budget negotiations, Bilawal announced the formation of a four-member PPP committee to discuss the upcoming federal budget proposals with the government.
The committee includes former Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, Sherry Rehman and Naveed Qamar, and is expected to present the party’s recommendations to ease economic pressure on the public.
Bilawal also reiterated the PPP’s long-standing stance on accountability reforms, saying the party had historically supported the abolition of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
However, he said the PPP had supported the recent amendments to the NAB Act due to political and legislative constraints, while warning that the party could review its position if commitments made by the government were not met.
