Bilawal says tampering with NFC, 18th Amendment, is like ‘playing with fire’

Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has warned that any attempt to dilute provincial powers or undermine constitutional protections granted by the 18th Amendment would be “playing with fire”.

Bilawal gave the warning during a video address marking the 58th founding day of the PPP, broadcast simultaneously in over 100 districts.

Recalling the ruling PML-N’s earlier proposals to change the price of the National Finance Commission (NFC), Bilawal said the PPP had opposed these measures. He noted that this opposition was the reason the proposed changes were ultimately excluded from the final draft of the 27th Constitutional Amendment.

Pakistan’s structural challenges, he explained, are rooted in the country’s history, and the PPP has worked to strengthen the federation by restoring democracy and ensuring provincial rights and representation.

Bilawal warned political forces trying to cast doubt on decisions taken by Parliament, saying law-making and constitution-making were the sole responsibility of elected representatives.

He said that when a constitutional amendment is adopted by consensus and majority, only Parliament has the power to review or modify it. Requiring that courts or judges decide the fate of a constitutional amendment, he said, would be overkill.

“It is not their authority, and we will not allow any other institution to interfere with the jurisdiction of Parliament. No court has had, has or will have the power to strike down a constitutional amendment,” he remarked.

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He pointed out that the state had strengthened the federation by ensuring political, economic and administrative inclusion through the 18th Amendment and the NFC award. Those seeking to roll back those gains, he said, have ignored how those measures helped neutralize the separatist policies that hostile foreign powers once exploited. “Those who attempt to falsify the NFC price or the 18th Amendment are in fact playing with fire,” he warned.

Referring to growing regional tensions, Bilawal said the government must avoid providing opportunities for hostile actors to exploit Pakistan’s internal divisions, especially at a time when India’s defense minister is issuing aggressive statements and Pakistan’s relations with Afghanistan remain tense.

He also expressed concern about the country’s political climate, saying Pakistan’s internal divisions had reached unprecedented levels of bitterness. “Our disagreements may be political, but the level of bitterness that has emerged in Pakistan’s political culture – the fever that has gripped our politics – has reached a stage where members of one political party do not even want to talk to those of another,” he said.

Bilawal urged all political actors to adopt a path of truce and reconciliation, noting that the second part of the Charter of Democracy calls for political peace.

“The second part of the Charter of Democracy is truce and reconciliation, and I believe all stakeholders must follow this path to deal with the political crisis. Only then can all political parties work together to bring the country out of the challenges it is facing domestically and internationally. Otherwise, we will continue to fight among ourselves and those who conspire against Pakistan will exploit our divisions,” he warned.

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Bilawal praised the PPP for defending the financial rights of the provinces and accused the PML-N of trying to revive the executive judiciary system and recover subjects devolved to the provinces, such as education and population control. The PPP, he said, would support measures that would strengthen the federation, but would never support any measures that would weaken provincial autonomy.

Regarding the new Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), created under the 27th Amendment, Bilawal said some elements were trying to sow doubt on the institution. He expressed hope that the FCC would prove its critics wrong. He stressed that decisions regarding constitutional amendments remained the prerogative of Parliament and criticized those who seek to intervene judicially in such matters.

He said the FCC had assumed the nation’s highest constitutional jurisdiction and would now oversee major constitutional and policy issues, while the Supreme Court would focus on criminal cases. Bilawal hoped the FCC would not follow the path of judicial excesses of the past, referring to courts that had ventured into administrative and political matters – from fixing commodity prices to disqualifying prime ministers.

Bilawal concluded by noting that the PPP had fulfilled its commitment to establish a constitutional court and ensured equal provincial representation in it, expressing hope that the new judicial structure would enhance public confidence and improve access to justice.