Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Monday denied as mere speculation reports suggesting the government is working on potential 27th amendment, urging media to avoid spreading such rumors.
“No deliberation was held on 27th constitutional amendment in any government or legal committee meetings,” he told Geo News, a day after reports emerged of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari discussing the proposed legislation during a meeting in Lahore. According to the reports, the legislation aims to center on provincial issues.
“Neither a draft was tabled or discussed at government, law minister or attorney general level, and nor its statement of objects and purpose was chalked out,” stressed Tarar, adding the 26th constitutional amendment was a separate matter as it had sought to fulfill incomplete provisions of the Charter of Democracy. “It’s a milestone for the common man seeking justice, reducing pendency of cases and formation of constitutional benches,” he said.
According to the information minister, a special parliamentary committee formed to achieve consensus on the 26th constitutional amendment would continue working but shift its focus to legal reforms. “It’s an evolving situation and if the Parliament believes there’s a need for further legal reforms—which have many more aspects—the committee should continue its work, which is also welcoming for the country’s democracy and supremacy of Parliament,” he maintained.
Similarly, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar also declared the government was not any potential 27th amendment. “There is no chance of bringing such a constitutional amendment,” Tarar told reporters in the corridors of Parliament House after attending a meeting of the Parliamentarians for Global Action. Urging media to avoid such speculation, he said the government was working to fully implement the recently passed 26th amendment.
Separately, Barrister Aqeel Malik, the government spokesperson on legal affairs, also rejected reports that any potential 27th amendment would allow for civilian trials in military courts. “A very wrong impression is being given that military court will be established,” he told Geo News, while acknowledging that the MQM-Pakistan had conditioned its support for the 26th constitutional amendment to tweaks in Article 140A aimed at strengthening the local body system.