Top PPP body rejects tweaks to NFC award in 27th Amendment

KARACHI: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has categorically rejected the proposed changes to the constitutional protections ensuring provincial fiscal rights and the devolution of powers from the Centre to the provinces under the landmark 18th Constitutional Amendment. These changes are part of the federal government’s proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment package, which the PPP has vowed not to fully support.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari made this clear while speaking to media persons late on Thursday night after presiding over an hours-long session of the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) at Bilawal House, Karachi. The meeting, attended by President Asif Ali Zardari and other senior PPP leaders, will continue on Friday (today) to complete deliberations on the proposed amendment package.

Bilawal said the PPP would not support “any attempt to alter the constitutional protection of the provinces’ share in the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award”, reiterating that the party would, “under no circumstances, lend support to any such proposal.”

He further stated that the CEC members had unanimously and forcefully rejected any idea of rolling back or diluting the provincial autonomy guaranteed under the 18th Amendment.

Bilawal also revealed that the CEC had authorised him to extend conditional support to the federal government’s proposal to amend Article 243 of the Constitution — which deals with the command and structure of the armed forces. He said the proposed changes included giving a new title to the office of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, creating a new office regarding Strategic Forces Command, and conferring the rank of Field Marshal upon the incumbent army chief following Pakistan’s declared military victory against India earlier this year.

The PPP chairman emphasised that his party would not accept any move to alter the equal representation of all provinces in the proposed constitutional courts. While acknowledging that the Charter of Democracy (CoD) contains a clause supporting the creation of such courts, Bilawal noted that “many other demands made in the Charter remain unfulfilled.”

He added that the CEC meeting would resume on Friday after Juma prayers to finalise its stance on the government’s proposal concerning the structure and composition of the constitutional courts.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued by the Bilawal House late on Thursday night, it was stated that the first day of the PPP CEC meeting, chaired by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, was held at the Bilawal House, Karachi. The meeting began with the participants paying rich tributes to the martyrs of democracy, including those of the Karsaz tragedy.

According to the statement, the CEC members discussed in detail the prevailing political situation in the country and also deliberated on the federal government’s request regarding the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment. Participants shared their suggestions with the party leadership on various aspects of the national situation.

The Bilawal House statement further said that all members and special invitees of the CEC attended the session.