ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said no discussions had yet taken place regarding a possible 28th Constitutional Amendment, while announcing the formation of a four-member committee to hold budget negotiations with the federal government.
Addressing the PPP parliamentary party meeting, Bilawal said he would comment on the matter if any progress emerged in the future.
“No talks have taken place yet on the 28th Amendment; I do not know about tomorrow,” he remarked.
The PPP chief said the 26th and 27th constitutional amendments had strengthened provincial rights, adding that his party had ensured representation of all provinces in the Supreme Court and the Federal Constitutional Court.
His statement came after Minister of State for Law Barrister Aqeel Malik dismissed reports suggesting that a potential 28th Amendment would reverse the 18th Amendment.
Malik said the impression that the proposed amendment would roll back provincial autonomy was “completely false”, adding that no formal work was currently underway on any constitutional amendment.
The 18th Amendment, passed during the PPP-led government in 2010, granted greater autonomy to provinces and has remained a key political issue, with PPP consistently opposing any attempt to alter it.
Meanwhile, Bilawal constituted a committee comprising Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Naveed Qamar, Saleem Mandviwalla and Sherry Rehman to negotiate with the federal government over the upcoming budget.
He said the government could neither amend the Constitution nor pass the budget without PPP’s support, warning that the upcoming budget might further increase hardships for the public amid rising inflation and economic challenges.
Bilawal added that the PPP would cooperate with the federal government to help reduce economic pressure on citizens and welcomed relief measures introduced by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Commenting on regional developments, he said no offer had been made to him regarding the Iran-US conflict and related negotiations, while expressing hope that future talks between Tehran and Washington would succeed.
