THE Government seems to be in a hurry as soon after passage of the 26th Constitutional Amendment in the Constitution, the coalition partners have reportedly initiated the process of consultations on the 27th Amendment aimed at incorporating issues left over during the earlier amendment and accommodating the demands of other allies. Media is abuzz with speculations on the subject following a week-end meeting of PPP Chairperson Bilwal Bhutto Zardari with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Lahore. It has not been officially acknowledged that the issue of 27th Amendment came under discussion but the very composition of the delegations from both sides hint at something fresh cooking up as these included legal brains as well as political hawks.
Different circles spoke about the possibility of another amendment in the Constitution during intensive lobbying for and against the 26th Amendment but these gained credence when JUI(F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman remarked during media interaction recently that his party will fiercely oppose the 27th Amendment, without explaining further on the issue. The Sunday meeting in Lahore bears testimony to the fact that the Maulana was not speaking in a void but in the context of behind-the-scenes moves in this regard. As for the official position of the two parties about the contents of the meeting, they maintained discussions focused on the 26th Amendment with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appreciating the role of the PPP in its passage and Bilawal expressing the confidence that its adoption has blocked the way for any undemocratic move. The two parties are hoping that the amendment will go a long way in strengthening democracy and Parliament. However, the very fact that the meeting decided to keep the special parliamentary party intact, which was set up to discuss drafts of the 26th Amendment and create consensus on it. The meeting reportedly discussed the future strategy concerning the next constitutional move, the 27th Amendment meant for empowering provinces and ensuring their rights.
It decided to take other allies and like-minded parties, including the JUI(F) and MQM Pakistan, into the present set-up. It is also a fact that the MQM(P) had conditioned its support to the 26th Amendment to acceptance of its demands vis-à-vis empowerment of the local governments. As the party has its main political base in urban Sindh, therefore, consultations between the PPP, which rules the province and the PML(N) are understandable to evolve a consensus on this aspect of the new amendment. In a related development, Adviser to PM on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah, who was part of the PML(N) delegation in Lahore meeting, contradicted reports that the huddle discussed the 27th Amendment but his not so strong denial raised more questions. He admitted that further amendments to the Constitution would continue to address the issues which could not be accommodated in the 26th Amendment. Rana said the coalition government would aim to incorporate legislation requested by various parties in the upcoming constitutional amendment, adding that both sides had yet to reach a consensus on certain points discussed in Sunday’s meeting. It is, of course, right and privilege of the parliament to legislate and amend the Constitution but attempts should be made to do so after evolving consensus as controversial amendments has the potential to make the otherwise sacrosanct document contentious. It is because the 26th Amendment was treated as a hush-hush project that experts have started pointing out serious anomalies arising out of the changes in the Constitution. This practice must not be repeated and the evolving drafts should be made public for a nation-wide debate. There is always room for fine-tuning of drafts with input from all segments of the society, who are real stakeholders in the system.
