KARACHI: The Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Central Executive Committee (CEC) will meet today in Karachi to discuss the government’s draft of the 27th Constitutional Amendment.
According to party sources, the CEC will be briefed on the proposed amendment, while PPP is expected to raise five major reservations. The party maintains that the provincial share in resources must not be reduced below 57 percent and that provincial autonomy should not be curtailed. It has also expressed concerns over the proposal to introduce a uniform national curriculum across all provinces.
Sources said the House Business Advisory Committee, chaired by the National Assembly Speaker, has decided that the amendment will first be presented in the Senate. To ensure its passage, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has suspended the foreign visits of federal ministers and members of parliament.
The Senate requires 64 votes to approve the amendment. The ruling coalition, with 61 members, will need the support of three senators from JUI-F or ANP to secure the necessary majority.
Party Position in NA
In the National Assembly, which currently has 326 active members due to 10 vacant seats, 224 votes are needed to pass the amendment. The ruling coalition presently commands the support of 237 members, including the PPP.
The coalition’s largest party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), holds 125 seats, followed by the PPP with 74, MQM with 22, PML-Q with 5, and IPP with 4. One member each represents PML-Zia, Balochistan Awami Party, and National Party, along with the backing of four independents.
On the opposition benches, there are 89 members, including 75 independents and 10 from JUI-F. Additionally, the Sunni Ittehad Council, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen, BNP-Mengal, and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party each have one representative in the opposition.
