PM ‘tasks’ NA speaker to build consensus

27th Amendment
Sadiq to chair session of ally and opposition parties, including PTI and JUI-F, say sources
ISLAMABAD
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has assigned National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq the crucial responsibility of developing consensus among political parties for the 27th Constitutional Amendment, well-informed sources told Geo News on Wednesday.
The ruling PML-N is now seeking a broad political agreement on the proposed constitutional tweaks for establishing a Constitutional Court and making certain changes to the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award. This tweak also sought to amend Article 243 — which pertains to the supreme command of the armed forces — as well as several other key constitutional adjustments, according to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
Other proposals included the introduction of executive magistrates, provisions for the transfer of judges, and the removal of protections related to provincial shares in the NFC Award.
Deputy Prime Minister Senator Ishaq Dar confirmed on Tuesday that the government was currently in discussion with its major coalition partner, the PPP, and would also take other allied parties — including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), the Awami National Party (ANP), and the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) — into confidence before finalising the draft.
In today’s development, the sources said that the NA speaker has convened a meeting of all parliamentary leaders to discuss the proposed amendment and seek broad political agreement, which will be held in the Speaker’s Lounge at the Parliament House.
They said that invitations have been extended to parliamentary leaders of all major political parties, including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), as well as the chief whips of coalition partners.
The sources added that the participants will be briefed on the contours of the constitutional 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,” they added.
They further revealed that Sadiq is also expected to hold one-on-one meetings with parliamentary leaders in his chamber before the joint sitting.
Meanwhile, the ruling party instructed all its lawmakers and coalition parties’ members to ensure their presence in Islamabad ahead of the key session.
Does govt have magic number?
The PML-N government currently enjoys the support of 237 members in the National Assembly, where 224 votes are required to pass a constitutional amendment, according to parliamentary sources.
The PML-N holds 125 seats, while the PPP has 74 members.
The ruling coalition also includes 22 members from the MQM-P, five from the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), and four from the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP).
Additionally, one member each from the PML-Zia, National Party, and BAP, along with four independent lawmakers, back the government.
The opposition holds 89 seats in the lower house of parliament.
In the Senate, the ruling alliance commands 61 members, while the opposition has 35.
To pass the amendment in the upper house, the government needs a two-thirds majority — 64 votes in total. The sources suggest the government will require the support of at least three senators from the JUI-F or the ANP to reach that threshold.
Tweaks seek good governance: MQM-P
MQM-P Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said that the 27th Constitutional Amendment aims to improve governance and strengthen provincial harmony.
He was talking to reporters outside the parliament today alongside other party leaders, including Dr Farooq Sattar.
Siddiqui said the government believes the amendment will enhance efficiency in the judicial system. “This move will help protect citizens and ensure better justice,” he noted, urging restraint from political speculation as Pakistan passes through a critical phase.
Recalling the 26th Amendment, he said the MQM-P had demanded that democracy’s benefits must reach the people. “We approached the government directly and met the prime minister,” he added, reaffirming that Parliament exists to legislate for the common citizen.
Sattar said there should be no “surprise or concern” over the proposed constitutional amendment. He stressed that empowering local governments was vital for solving public issues and improving governance.
He added that the 18th Amendment had ensured provincial autonomy, and now “the next step should be local autonomy.”
Sattar also called for devolution of powers to be part of the 27th amendment, adding that most parties had earlier backed similar reforms under the 26th amendment.