The opposition alliance on Wednesday met Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman in a bid to secure his support against the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment, as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders vowed to resist its adoption.
Led by Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai, who is also the nominated opposition leader in the National Assembly and head of the Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ain Pakistan (TTAP), a delegation of opposition parties visited Rehman at his residence in Islamabad. Apart from Achakzai, the delegation included Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) Chairman Allama Raja Nasir, nominated as the leader of the opposition in the Senate, and PTI’s Asad Qaiser.
Addressing media after the meeting, Rehman warned those in power against considering the Constitution a “play thing,” lamenting the government was attempting to push through another constitutional amendment just a year after the 26th Amendment. “My fear is that if this continues, public trust in the Constitution will be completely eroded,” he said, recalling the government was “forced to withdraw” 34 clauses of the previous amendment.
He said the opposition had not yet received the draft of the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment, and questioned how it could be tabled in Parliament. “But opposition parties will develop a unified stance on it collectively,” he said, warning the political environment is deliberately being pushed toward confrontation.
PTI’s Qaiser, meanwhile, said the JUIF chief had supported Achakzai’s stance. “We will look at the 27th Constitutional Amendment collectively. The opposition will be united in the House,” he said.
PTI opposition
Separately, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said the PTI would strongly oppose the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment. He described it as an attempt to undermine provincial autonomy guaranteed under the 18th Amendment.
“Any move weakening the democratic mandate of the provinces will be resisted,” he said, claiming provisions aimed at revising the National Finance Commission Award amounted to a “robbery of provincial autonomy.”
Similarly, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan strongly criticized the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment in the National Assembly, saying it threatened the balance between the center and the provinces.