ISLAMABAD: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Thursday denied any immediate discussions with the federal government regarding a possible 28th Constitutional Amendment, saying he would comment if any progress was made in the future.
“No talks have taken place yet on the 28th Amendment; [but] I do not know about tomorrow,” Bilawal said while addressing the PPP’s parliamentary party meeting.
During the meeting, the PPP chairman said he had himself spoken about the 27th Amendment and noted that the 26th and 27th constitutional amendments had secured provincial rights.
He added that the PPP’s efforts ensured the representation of all provinces in both the Supreme Court and the Federal Constitutional Court.
Bilawal’s remarks came after State Minister for Law Barrister Aqeel Malik rejected claims that a potential 28th Amendment would reverse the 18th Amendment.
“This impression being created that if the 28th Amendment is introduced, it is a rollback of the 18th Amendment — I believe an extremely false impression is being created,” Malik said during Capital Talk on Geo News.
The minister added that no official work was currently underway on any constitutional amendment, though broader national issues had been discussed previously.
The 18th Amendment, passed during the PPP-led government in 2010, has remained the subject of debate over the years, with repeated calls for changes to it. However, the PPP has consistently opposed such proposals and vowed to resist any amendments to the legislation.
Meanwhile, Bilawal constituted a four-member committee for budget negotiations with the federal government. The committee includes MNAs Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Naveed Qamar, along with senators Saleem Mandviwala and Sherry Rehman.
According to Bilawal, the federal government would not be able to amend the Constitution or pass the budget without the PPP’s support.
He cautioned that the upcoming budget could increase hardships for the public, saying Pakistan was facing an economic crisis and that inflation continued to heavily impact citizens across the country.
The PPP chief said political parties also felt the suffering of the people and welcomed relief measures introduced by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during difficult economic conditions.
Bilawal said the prime minister had requested provinces to support the federation in efforts to control inflation, adding that the PPP would cooperate with the federal government to reduce economic pressure on the public.
He also maintained that no offer had been made to him regarding the Iran-US war and negotiations, while expressing hope that future talks between Tehran and Washington would succeed.