Proposed 27th Amendment: PM intensifies consultations with coalition parties

ISLAMABAD: In a last-ditch effort to secure support for the controversial 27th Constitutional Amendment ahead of its formal introduction, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday ramped up negotiations, meeting with key party allies in a bid to form a unified front for the upcoming parliamentary showdown.

Sharif’s efforts included high-level discussions with key allied parties, including Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), all of whom are vital to securing a majority vote.

The MQM-P emerged as a central player in the talks, with party convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui leading a delegation that pressed for a greater role for local governments in the amendment.

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Sources within the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that the discussions focused heavily on the party’s demand for decentralisation, a long-standing priority for the MQM-P.

Alongside Siddiqui, the MQM-P delegation included Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, and senior lawmakers Dr Farooq Sattar and Aminul Haque.

They were received by senior members of the federal government, including Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar.

Speaking to reporters after meeting the prime minister, Dr Sattar reiterated that their demands for local autonomy had been dismissed during the chaotic passage of the 26th Amendment in October 2024.

“We made it clear during the 26th Amendment that our constitutional package must be included, but it was ignored,” Sattar said. “Now is the time for local governments to be empowered under the 27th Amendment.”

As the MQM-P continued to press for decentralisation, the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), another key ally of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), raised its own set of demands, adding further complexity to Sharif’s already delicate negotiations.

Sources said the BNP-M has demanded development funds, along with some ministerial positions, arguing that while their vote on the bill is secure, their lawmakers should at least be given some favours.

Meanwhile, the sources indicated that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), another major ally of the government, also held talks with the prime minister and some of his close aides.

After the meeting with Prime Minister Sharif, the PPP delegation flew to Karachi to convene an emergency session of its Central Executive Council (CEC), where the party is expected to decide on its course of action regarding the contentious bill.

Sources within the party said that top leaders would decide their final stance on the amendment in the coming days, a decision that could prove pivotal in shaping the amendment’s future.

On the opposition side, political activity has intensified. Senior members of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, have ramped up efforts to resist the proposed constitutional changes.

According to sources privy to the meeting, PTI leadership has vowed to oppose the amendment both in and outside parliament, warning that its passage would be disastrous for the country.

Chief Minister Afridi specifically cautioned against defections within PTI ranks, warning that those who cross party lines would face severe repercussions.

“The 26th Amendment saw defections in our ranks, and we will not allow that again,” Afridi said. “Anyone who betrays Imran Khan’s ideology will be dealt with accordingly.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025