ISLAMABAD: A deadlock between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led federal government and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) persisted on Friday over the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment, with the PPP refusing to endorse several key clauses.
During the second day of its Central Executive Committee meeting, the PPP reiterated its opposition to most provisions of the draft amendment, agreeing only to the proposed changes in Article 243, which concerns appointments in the armed forces.Following PPP’s stance, the government postponed today’s federal cabinet meeting, initially scheduled to approve the draft.
A day earlier, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said his party rejected any proposal that altered provincial autonomy or the NFC Award formula, stressing equal representation for all four provinces in the proposed Constitutional Court.
Meanwhile, coalition allies, including the MQM-Pakistan and the PML-Q, reaffirmed their support for the government’s amendment plan. However, opposition parties in the Senate dismissed the proposal entirely, accusing the ruling coalition of bypassing parliamentary consultation.
In a joint statement, opposition lawmakers alleged that the PML-N, PPP, and their partners were “bulldozing” legislation and concealing details of the amendment from Parliament.Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah claimed that consensus had been achieved on key points, saying: “Talks are underway, and we are not touching the 18th Amendment. Matters will likely be settled by this evening.”