LONDON/ISLAMABAD:
With speculation rife over a possible 27th Amendment, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday said there was “no need” for any such constitutional tweak as the country was finally finding its political footing and turning the economic corner.
“We are still digesting the 26th Constitutional Amendment, so there is no need for a 27th right now. The country is running well. There is stability and economic improvement,” the foreign minister said while speaking to reporters in London during his official visit to the United Kingdom.
“We are putting our full attention towards GDP growth and development. Under [Prime Minister] Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership, all efforts are being made,” he added.
The deputy PM added that under former premier Nawaz Sharif’s leadership in 2017 Pakistan had been “the 24th-biggest economy” and the government’s target was to take the economy back to that level.
“We are headed that way very quickly, and we are getting ready to become part of the G20,” he added.
His remarks come against the backdrop of past speculation in legal circles that a 27th amendment might be used to settle unfinished business from the 26th, particularly the proposal for a separate constitutional court.
Although the Islamabad High Court Bar Association had earlier backed the idea of a fresh amendment, Dar’s comments make it clear that, for now, there was no official move to pursue one.
Dar meets British MPs
Separately, the deputy prime minister held a series of meetings with British lawmakers of Pakistani origin.
According to a Foreign Office (FO) statement, Dar met MPs Mohammad Yasin, Tahir Ali, Imran Hussain, Ayoub Khan and Adnan Hussain, stressing the “deep historical and cultural bonds” between Pakistan and the UK, strengthened by the country’s vibrant diaspora.
He highlighted the role of British Pakistanis as a bridge between Islamabad and London and reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to “enhancing bilateral parliamentary exchanges”, noting that such contacts facilitate the sharing of democratic experiences.
Dar also “appreciated the efforts of the MPs to bring greater attention to the issue of human rights violations in occupied Kashmir” and praised them for raising awareness in the UK.
During his London visit, Dar held a meeting with UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Hamish Falconer at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, in which both sides reviewed bilateral ties, cooperation in areas including economy and climate and exchanged views on regional and global developments.
The deputy PM reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to economic reforms and “underscored the importance of the just and peaceful resolution of [the] Jammu and Kashmir Dispute, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions.”
He also met Kashmiri community leaders and inaugurated two services at the Pakistan High Commission in London, the Provision of Land Record Services and the One Window Passport Processing System.
The FO said the land records initiative, developed with the Punjab Land Revenue Authority, would allow British Pakistanis to access property records and deeds in Punjab remotely, using blockchain technology to ensure transparency.
Meanwhile, the passport system will streamline documentation at a single counter, cutting processing time to around 10 minutes per applicant.
