• Khawaja Asif expects “clarity on consensus” within two to three days
• Justifies changes in article 243 because defense needs ‘have changed’
• Latest adjustments are not intended to reverse 18th Amendment, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry tells NA
ISLAMABAD: Clarity on a consensus on the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment is expected within two to three days, after which the legislation is likely to be tabled in Parliament next week, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Wednesday.
On the other hand, the National Assembly was also assured that the 18th Amendment would not be repealed through the new legislation.
talking to Geographic newsAsif said consultations were being held on amendments to the law governing the armed forces as the government considers constitutional changes. He highlighted that discussions on amending Article 243 were ongoing because “defense requirements have changed.”
Article 243 of the Constitution establishes that the federal government “shall have control and command of the armed forces” and that “the supreme command of the armed forces shall correspond to the president.”
Earlier, speaking to the media outside Parliament, Asif said he could not share details about reservations or discussions on the 27th Amendment.
He added that PPP president Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had every right to express his views and the government was engaging other parties in the same spirit to seek opinions.
‘Guesses’
Meanwhile, responding to issues raised by opposition members in the National Assembly, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry urged an end to “negative and false propaganda” and denounced attempts to make the 27th Amendment controversial based on “assumptions and conjectures” as an official draft is yet to see the light of day.
He said there was no plan to take control of provincial educational institutions or boards. “We’re just talking about a uniform curriculum,” he said.
The minister said no action would be taken that would weaken the federation, the provinces or their relations. “The purpose is to improve governance, reinforce defense and strengthen ties between the federation and the provinces,” he stressed.
He added that allies and all stakeholders would be involved and that NFC-related matters would be decided through consultations.
Regretting that the 26th Amendment, passed last year, had also been portrayed as an attack on judicial independence, he said a separate constitutional court, as proposed in the 27th Amendment, would help reduce the backlog of cases. He noted that the establishment of such a court had been agreed upon in the Charter of Democracy, signed by the PML-N and the PPP in 2006.
He stressed that constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority, not a consensus, and said the spirit of the Constitution would be respected.
Call for consensus
Earlier, PTI Chairman Advocate Gohar Ali Khan said that constitutional amendments should be passed by consensus, as was the case in the neighboring country in the past.
He argued that the 27th Amendment would go against the spirit of the Constitution and warned the government not to divide the nation. “This will further jeopardize the independence of the judiciary,” he said.
Barrister Gohar said the government was putting the federation at risk by pushing the amendment, adding that it would be inappropriate to take back population and education from the provinces.
“These issues were placed in the hands of the provinces with the passage of the 18th Amendment,” he said. He also questioned why a draft of the 27th Amendment had been leaked.
He said the opposition had proposed Mahmood Khan Achakzai as leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, submitting his name to the president’s office with the signatures of 72 members of parliament. “According to the rules, the president must appoint the leader of the opposition, otherwise I will ask Mr. Achakzai to take the seat himself,” he said.
He also recalled the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling ordering the federal government to legislate within 45 days to grant civilians convicted by military courts the right to appeal to the civilian judiciary, and called for its implementation.
In his speech, Malik Aamir Dogar demanded that the president immediately appoint Achakzai as opposition leader as per norms.
Vice President Ghulam Mustafa, who was presiding over the process, suggested the opposition visit the president’s office to discuss the issue, as a case in this regard was in court.
Journalists’ strike
Also on Wednesday, journalists covering the proceedings of the National Assembly staged a walkout from the Press Gallery before the start of question time, to protest the recent dismissals of employees of several television channels and restrictions on press freedom.
Vice President Ghulam Mustafa Shah sent Information Minister Attaullah Tarar to negotiate with the protesting journalists.
On the occasion, Parliamentary Reporters Association (PRA) MB Soomro expressed serious concern over the recent dismissals of several media workers of television channels and various media organisations. He also forcefully drew the Minister’s attention to the suspension of government advertising for Daily sunrise.
Later, speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, the minister expressed concern about the dismissal of journalists by various media outlets without prior notice or valid justification. He said the issue would be raised during a meeting with media owners scheduled for next week.
“We have ensured that payments are made on time to the media and we hope that these financial benefits will also reach working journalists and media staff,” he said.
Tarar said a delegation from the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) had met him to present a letter of demands. These demands will be discussed with media owners, including Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) and Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS), in the next meeting to find a lasting solution, he added.
Published in Dawn, November 6, 2025
