PM Directs NA Speaker to Build Consensus on 27th Constitutional Amendment
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has entrusted National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq with the key task of forging political consensus on the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment, sources told Geo News on Wednesday.
The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is seeking broad-based agreement among major political parties on the amendment, which aims to establish a Constitutional Court and revise provisions of the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award.
According to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the draft also includes changes to Article 243 — related to the supreme command of the armed forces — and several other significant constitutional adjustments. Additional proposals cover the introduction of executive magistrates, transfer of judges, and removal of certain protections for provincial shares in the NFC Award.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed Tuesday that consultations are ongoing with the PPP and other coalition partners, including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Awami National Party (ANP), and Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), before the draft is finalized.
Meeting of Parliamentary Leaders Convened
Sources said Speaker Sadiq has called a meeting of all parliamentary leaders at Parliament House to discuss the proposed amendment and seek consensus. Invitations have been extended to all major parties — including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) — as well as to the chief whips of coalition partners.
Participants will be briefed on the key contours of the amendment, and a joint strategy for its passage will be discussed. “If consensus is not reached, the government will rely on its own numbers in the National Assembly,” a source said.
Sadiq is also expected to hold one-on-one meetings with party leaders ahead of the joint sitting. Meanwhile, the ruling coalition has directed all lawmakers to ensure their presence in Islamabad before the crucial session.
Does the Government Have the Numbers?
According to parliamentary sources, the PML-N-led coalition currently commands the support of 237 members in the National Assembly — comfortably above the 224 votes required for a constitutional amendment.
The PML-N holds 125 seats, the PPP 74, while MQM-P, PML-Q, and Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) contribute 22, 5, and 4 seats, respectively. Smaller allies — including one member each from PML-Zia, National Party, and BAP, along with four independents — also back the government.
The opposition holds 89 seats in the lower house.
In the Senate, the ruling alliance has 61 members against 35 in opposition. The government will need support from at least three senators from JUI-F or ANP to achieve the two-thirds majority (64 votes) required for passage.
‘Amendment Aims to Strengthen Governance,’ Says MQM-P
MQM-P Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said the 27th Amendment is designed to improve governance and strengthen provincial harmony.
Speaking to reporters alongside Dr Farooq Sattar, he said the reforms would “enhance judicial efficiency, protect citizens’ rights, and ensure better justice.” He urged political restraint as Pakistan “passes through a critical phase.”
Sattar added that empowering local governments was essential for solving public issues. “The 18th Amendment ensured provincial autonomy — now the next step should be local autonomy,” he said, calling for devolution of powers to be included in the new amendment.
Vawda Meets Maulana Fazl
Separately, Senator Faisal Vawda met JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman in Islamabad to discuss clauses of the 27th Amendment.
“We often meet, and I always leave with positivity,” Vawda said, adding that the discussion focused on national stability, not numbers.
He claimed the government had “more than sufficient votes” to pass the amendment and stressed that the 18th Amendment was not being rolled back, only reviewed through consultation.
“Article 243 covers not only ground warfare but also cyber and economic defence,” Vawda noted, underscoring the need to strengthen the armed forces. He urged the PTI to engage constructively, warning that “negative politics will only harm the party.”
