Bilawal says tampering with NFC, 18th Amendment is akin to ‘playing with fire’

Pakistan Peoples Party Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari warned that any attempt to dilute provincial powers or undermine the constitutional protections granted under the 18th Amendment would be “playing with fire.”

Bilawal delivered the warning during a video address marking the PPP’s 58th foundation day, broadcast simultaneously across more than 100 districts.

Recalling earlier proposals by the ruling PML-N to amend the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, Bilawal said the PPP had opposed those measures. He noted that this opposition was why the proposed changes were ultimately excluded from the final draft of the 27th Constitutional Amendment.

Pakistan’s structural challenges, he said, were rooted in the country’s history, and the PPP had worked to strengthen the federation by restoring democracy and securing provincial rights and representation.

Bilawal cautioned political forces attempting to cast doubt on decisions taken by parliament, saying that creating laws and framing the Constitution were the exclusive responsibilities of elected representatives.

He said that when a constitutional amendment is passed through consensus and majority, only parliament has the authority to revisit or alter it. Demanding that courts or judges decide the fate of a constitutional amendment, he said, was an overreach.

“This is not their authority, nor will we permit any other institution to interfere in the jurisdiction of parliament. No court has had, has, or will have the power to nullify a constitutional amendment,” he remarked.

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He stressed that the state had strengthened the federation by ensuring political, economic, and administrative inclusion through the 18th Amendment and the NFC Award. Those seeking to undo these gains, he said, ignored how these measures helped neutralise separatist politics that hostile foreign powers once exploited. “Those who attempt to tamper with the NFC Award or the 18th Amendment are, in effect, playing with fire,” he warned.

Referring to rising regional tensions, Bilawal said the government must avoid providing hostile actors with opportunities to exploit Pakistan’s internal divisions—especially at a time when India’s defence minister issues aggressive statements and when Pakistan’s relations with Afghanistan remain strained.

He also voiced concern over the country’s political climate, saying Pakistan’s internal rifts had reached unprecedented levels of bitterness. “Our disagreements may be political, but the level of bitterness that has emerged in Pakistan’s political culture—the fever that has taken hold of our politics—has reached a stage where members of one political party are unwilling even to speak to those from another,” he said.

Bilawal urged all political stakeholders to adopt a path of truce and reconciliation, noting that the second part of the Charter of Democracy calls for political peace.

“The second part of the Charter of Democracy is truce and reconciliation, and I believe that all stakeholders must follow this path to address the political crisis. Only then can all political parties work together to steer the country out of the challenges it faces at home and internationally. Otherwise, we will keep fighting among ourselves, and those conspiring against Pakistan will exploit our divisions,” he warned.

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Bilawal praised the PPP for defending provincial financial rights and accused the PML-N of attempting to revive the executive magistracy system and reclaim subjects devolved to the provinces—such as education and population control. The PPP, he said, would support measures that strengthened the federation but would never endorse any step that weakened provincial autonomy.

Turning to the newly formed Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), established under the 27th Amendment, Bilawal said some elements were attempting to create doubts about the institution. He expressed hope that the FCC would prove its critics wrong. He emphasised that decisions regarding constitutional amendments remained the prerogative of parliament and criticised those seeking judicial intervention in such matters.

He said the FCC had assumed the country’s highest constitutional jurisdiction and would now oversee major constitutional and political matters, while the Supreme Court would focus on criminal cases. Bilawal hoped the FCC would not follow the path of past judicial overreach, referencing courts that had ventured into administrative and political matters—from fixing commodity prices to disqualifying prime ministers.

Bilawal concluded by noting that the PPP had fulfilled its commitment to establishing a constitutional court and had ensured equal provincial representation within it, expressing hope that the new judicial structure would strengthen public trust and enhance access to justice.