Karachi – Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has firmly rejected proposed reductions in provincial financial shares under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, while expressing support for changes to Article 243 related to military command structure.
Speaking after chairing a high-level meeting of the PPP’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) at Bilawal House in Karachi, Bilawal stated:
“We will not accept any clause that undermines the NFC Award. Except for Article 243, all other proposals have been rejected.”
The meeting was convened following a visit by a delegation from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, seeking PPP’s support for the proposed amendment. Bilawal confirmed that a final decision on the establishment of a constitutional court would be made in a follow-up session after Friday prayers.
High-Level Participation
The CEC meeting was attended by prominent party leaders including President Asif Ali Zardari, Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani, former Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Federal Ministers Qadir Patel and Nafeesa Shah, senior leaders Qamar Zaman Kaira, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Raza Rabbani, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, and Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider.
PPP Reaffirms Commitment to Provincial Autonomy
PPP’s Central Information Secretary Shazia Marri told reporters that the meeting was called in response to Bilawal’s social media post and was not pre-scheduled. She emphasized that the party remains a staunch defender of provincial autonomy and will not tolerate any rollback of the 18th Amendment.
“If there are reforms that improve daily governance, we are open to discussion. But compromising on provincial rights is not an option,” Marri said.
She added that the party’s internal decision-making process is structured and consultative, and any constitutional changes must respect the federal spirit of the constitution.
