ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The federal cabinet meeting scheduled to be held today under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif on the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment has been postponed.
According to the sources, the meeting of the Federal Cabinet was now likely to be called on Monday or Tuesday, but a final date would depend upon the availability of the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is leaving for an official foreign visit today.
“The next cabinet meeting can only be held after the prime minister comes back home,” said a government source, an indication that the legislative calendar might be delayed slightly.
The officials explained that any draft constitutional amendment must first receive cabinet approval before being presented in parliament, meaning there is an effective pause on progress for the 27th Amendment at the moment.
The postponement comes after Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari publicly opposed certain clauses of the proposed amendment during a media talk after the PPP Central Executive Council meeting in Karachi on Thursday night, according to sources.
Addressing the media after the meeting of the CEC, Bilawal said the PPP had rejected every proposal in the draft amendment except one. “We categorically reject the proposal to change the NFC Award and abolish the provincial share,” he asserted. “Under no circumstances will the PPP support this.”
Charter of Democracy principles
Bilawal said the CoD had explicitly mentioned the formation of a constitutional court, for which the party maintains its agreement, but added that any such court should reflect equal representation for all four provinces to maintain actual federal balance and fairness.
“Our considered view is that the constitutional court must be represented by all provinces on an equal basis,” Bilawal said, reiterating his party’s long-held stance on provincial parity in constitutional matters.
Bilawal further announced that the PPP’s Central Executive Council would meet again today (Friday) after Friday prayers to resume deliberations on the proposed amendment, adding that the party’s stand on safeguarding the rights of the provinces and equality among the provinces would dictate further deliberations.
