ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet meeting scheduled to approve the draft of the 27th Constitutional Amendment today has been postponed. The postponement is an outcome of the busy schedule of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. PM Shehbaz is leaving for Azerbaijan on a one-day visit following the meeting.
Meanwhile, Bilawal Bhutto and some other PPP leaders have strongly opposed the proposed changes in the NFC award and the transfer of some departments to the federal government.
Draft Approval Delayed Until Next Cabinet Session
The meeting, earlier called for Friday morning, was arranged to brief the federal cabinet on the proposed amendment draft before its formal approval. However, due to the prime minister’s travel commitments, the agenda has been deferred to the next cabinet session.
Government Seeks Political Consensus
According to officials, the government is working to build political consensus before presenting the amendment in parliament. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has been holding consultations with coalition partners, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), and other allied parties. These discussions aim to finalise the draft and ensure sufficient parliamentary backing.
Next Steps for the 27th Amendment Bill
Once the cabinet grants approval, the bill is expected to be tabled in the Senate. It will then be referred to a joint parliamentary committee for detailed review, a process that may extend over several days. The government hopes to secure broad political agreement and pass the amendment through both houses of parliament in the coming days.
PPP stance on new amendment
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has reiterated its firm stance on protecting provincial autonomy, declaring that it will not allow any rollback of the 18th Constitutional Amendment or changes to the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award. The decision came during a key Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting held on Thursday, where senior party leaders gathered to deliberate on potential constitutional and political developments.
According to party insiders, the meeting — which continued late into the evening — focused on the government’s ongoing discussions surrounding possible amendments to the Constitution. Members unanimously agreed that the 18th Amendment, a cornerstone of Pakistan’s democratic and federal structure, must remain untouched.
“The devolution of power to provinces is one of the PPP’s greatest democratic achievements, and there can be no compromise on that,” one senior leader was quoted as saying.
Sources further clarified that no formal draft proposing constitutional changes had been shared with the party. However, the leadership discussed key talking points that emerged after PPP’s recent engagement with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, ensuring the party’s position remains clear in upcoming consultations.
Consensus on Constitutional and Institutional Reforms
Party members maintained that transferring devolved subjects such as health and education back to the federal level would be impractical and regressive, warning that it could disrupt governance and service delivery at the provincial tier. They also emphasized that the current NFC Award formula for revenue distribution must continue without alteration.
