Govt clears the air on intent behind 27th Amendment | The Express Tribune

ISLAMABAD:

Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the House Ishaq Dar assured the Senate on Tuesday that the proposed 27th constitutional amendment was a government’s initiative and it would be introduced only after thorough consultation with coalition partners.

The House met with Senator Manzoor Ahmad in the chair, as Chairman Senate Yusuf Raza Gilani is currently acting as President, while the Deputy Chairman was unavailable. After procedural matters were taken up, the session witnessed heated debate on the proposed amendment.

Taking the floor in response to a fiery speech from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentary leader Barrister Ali Zafar, Dar emphasised that the amendment was a government initiative, not a proposal coming from outside.

He said the process would begin in the Senate before moving to the National Assembly to ensure detailed scrutiny. “My suggestion is that the 27th Amendment should be brought first in the Senate because there are number games in the National Assembly,” he said, adding that the bill would be referred to the Law and Justice Committee for review.

He stressed that coalition partners, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami National Party (ANP) and Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), were being taken into confidence.

“We will move forward in line with the Constitution and the law, giving every member the right to debate and share their opinion,” he said. “Allies are being kept informed, and the draft will only be finalised after mutual agreement.”

Responding to Barrister Zafar’s remarks on the absence of an opposition leader in the Upper House, Dar said the appointment was the Chairman Senate’s constitutional responsibility. “Once the process is complete, the chairman should proceed accordingly,” he said.

Earlier, Zafar had told the House that his party had written to the chairman a week ago seeking the appointment of the opposition leader but received no response. “All these proceedings without a leader of the opposition are not proper,” he said.

The PTI leader also referred to PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s comments on the 27th Amendment, questioning whether the bill was genuinely government-initiated or coming from elsewhere.

The deputy prime minister said that Bilawal, as chairman of a political party, had every right to tweet and that his remarks were not without reason. “What he said about the 27th Amendment has been discussed,” Dar added.

Reiterating the government’s position, Dar said the 27th Constitutional Amendment was being brought by the government itself. “It is our amendment. The 27th amendment is not coming parachuted in; the government is bringing it,” he said. “It will not be rushed through rhetoric.”

Dar reaffirmed that it was the government’s constitutional duty to move amendments transparently and with consensus. “There should be no confusion about who will present the bill,” he said. “It is the government’s responsibility, and it will be done through parliament, not outside it.”

During his address, Dar also touched on regional and security matters, saying Pakistan had sent over 2,000 metric tonnes of aid to Gaza and was part of diplomatic efforts with seven other Muslim countries to secure a ceasefire and humanitarian access.

He also discussed Pakistan’s concerns regarding terrorism and relations with Afghanistan. He said that following the Taliban takeover, Pakistan had repeatedly requested that Afghan soil not be used against it. “If war occurs, the government’s decision is clear: we will fight till the last breath,” he said.

He added that groups such as the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) were operating from across the border. He expressed the hope that the next round of talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan on November 6 would yield progress.

The session, however, turned noisy when PTI senators protested the delay in appointing the opposition leader. They tore up copies of the agenda, shouted slogans and surrounded the chairman’s dais, disrupting proceedings.

Despite the commotion, the upper house continued to take up the legislative agenda. The Senate passed several key bills, including the Daanish Schools Authority Bill 2025, the King Hamad University of Nursing and Associated Medical Sciences Bill 2025, and the Asaan Karobar (Easy Business) Bill 2025.

The house also approved the Qanun-e-Shahadat (Amendment) Bill 2025 and adopted a resolution extending the Virtual Assets Ordinance 2025 by 120 days, moved by Federal Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazir Tarar.