Treasury, opposition members trade barbs over proposed amendment, sharply disagree over its implications
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry addressing the National Assembly during Wednesday’s session. Photo: X
Heated exchanges erupted in the National Assembly on Wednesday as lawmakers debated the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment. The treasury benches rejected claims that the government intended to roll back the 18th Amendment as both sides traded barbs throughout the session over the scope and intent of the proposed amendment.
Speaking on the floor, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry rejected what he termed “false and misleading propaganda” suggesting that the government sought to roll back the 18th Amendment. “Let me make it absolutely clear — there is no move to roll back the 18th Amendment under the 27th Amendment. Such politically motivated propaganda must stop,” he said.
Chaudhry emphasised that the government, the ruling party or the prime minister have no intention of weakening the provinces. “There will be no move that weakens the federation or the provinces,” he reiterated, urging lawmakers to avoid speculation until the formal draft is presented.
He said the draft amendment would first be tabled in the Senate and later in the National Assembly, where members would have full opportunity to review, debate and propose changes. “Once the draft is presented, every member will have a chance to review its contents and raise objections if necessary,” he said.
Read: 27th Amendment — What we know so far
He noted that the Constitution was a “living document” and that any amendment required a two-thirds majority in Parliament. “Consensus is desirable, but constitutionally, amendments are passed with a two-thirds majority,” he said, adding that the proposed changes were aimed at strengthening the federation and promoting inter-provincial cooperation.
Responding to criticism over the government’s legitimacy, Chaudhry said that while elections in every era faced scrutiny, the current assemblies had a lawful mandate. “If anyone has concerns about the election results, they should go to court instead of questioning Parliament’s authority,” he stated.
Highlighting national priorities, the minister said consultations would also cover the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, population challenges, and a uniform curriculum, which he described as a requirement of the time. However, despite government assurances, the opposition benches voiced strong reservations over the amendment, saying the move was putting the entire federation at risk.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said the proposed amendment posed a risk to national unity. “There is widespread concern across the country that the federation is attacking the provinces,” he said, reminding the House that the government had assumed power with only 16 seats.
“Constitutional amendments are a serious matter,” he said, noting that India has amended its constitution 106 times. “The 18th Amendment was passed unanimously and celebrated by the people, but we have serious reservations about four clauses in the 26th Amendment. At that time, the amendments that were left out of the 26th Amendment, you had intended to give them continuity. This was proof that when passing the 26th Amendment, you believed it was against the Constitution and violated the sanctity of the federation. Those amendments were being pushed through, and at that time, you had attacked the judiciary. Now, however, you are putting the entire federation at risk,” he said.
Barrister Gohar added that provinces were still waiting for the 11th NFC Award and warned that the PTI would protest from within the Assembly. He highlighted that the core issue currently facing the federation is the unresolved NFC Award, noting that provinces are still awaiting the 11th award, which has not yet been announced.
“The most serious issue before us today is the NFC Award,” Gohar said. “Provinces have been waiting for the 11th award, yet the 7th award keeps being extended. Under the 18th Amendment, it was required to be revisited in 2010, but that never happened — and the 8th and 9th awards also failed to take shape.”
He cautioned that altering this arrangement or reducing provincial shares could destabilise the entire federal structure and undermine the spirit of provincial autonomy. “When the 18th Amendment was passed in 2010, it was clearly assured that the provinces’ share in any new NFC Award would never be less than before,” he said. “Any attempt to cut that share or concentrate powers in the hands of a few individuals would endanger the federation itself,” he added.
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Barrister Gohar asserted that the right to amend the Constitution rests only with those who have a genuine public mandate. “You do not have that mandate,” he told the treasury benches. He also urged the authorities to notify Mahmood Khan Achakzai as Leader of the Opposition, saying PTI had submitted a petition with the support of 74 members. “He is our opposition leader,” he asserted.
Pointing to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, he criticised a ban on transporting wheat to the province and said K-P’s chief minister had been denied permission to meet PTI founder Imran Khan. “We urge the Speaker to issue a ruling,” he added.
Separately, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar condemned what he described as “regrettable” dismissals of media workers by certain private outlets.
He said the government was ensuring timely payments to media organisations and that the benefits should reach journalists. He said a charter of demand would be handed to the Pakistan Broadcasters Association and that digital media still lacked a regulatory framework.
