JUI-F chief to meet Zardari and Bilawal to discuss the 27th Constitutional Amendment

Maulana Fazlur Rehman – (Special Correspondent / Web Desk) – Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the leader of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), is scheduled to meet with President Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. Their discussion will focus on the nation’s current political climate and the proposed 27th change to the Constitution. The JUI-F party released an official statement confirming this important gathering.

For these talks, Maulana Fazlur Rehman will not be alone. He will be joined by other senior party figures, including Maulana Rashid Soomro and Mufti Abrar Ahmed. The group aims to present a united front while discussing these critical national issues.

The topic of their meeting, the 27th Constitutional Amendment, has already started its journey through the government. The federal cabinet recently approved the bill, allowing it to be presented in the Senate. From there, it was sent to the relevant standing committees for a detailed review.

However, the process has hit a snag. During the committee session, two key members from the JUI-F, Aliya Kamran and Senator Kamran Murtaza, chose to boycott the meeting. They expressed strong concerns, stating that the new proposal includes ideas that were already rejected during the creation of the 26th Amendment.

The JUI-F’s position on provincial rights is very clear. Just a day earlier, Maulana Fazlur Rehman publicly stated that his party would fight any attempt to reduce the powers given to provinces by the 18th Amendment. He emphasized that provinces have a constitutional right to a larger share of national funds, not a smaller one.

This firm stance from the JUI-F leader came after the Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, met with his coalition partners. The goal of these meetings was to build support for the 27th Amendment, which has become a subject of debate. Fazl noted that while his party agreed on some basic principles, they needed to see the final draft before making a final decision.

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He also commented on potential changes to a specific part of the Constitution, Article 243. He explained that his party’s support depends on the nature of the change. If the amendment weakens democracy or the political process, they will reject it. However, if it is a simple administrative update, they are willing to consider it.

The JUI-F is not the only party setting boundaries. The PPP, a major ally in the current government, has also drawn a line. They have conditionally offered support for limited changes to Article 243, which relates to the federal government’s control of the military. However, they firmly oppose any change that would reduce the financial share of the provinces.

Tags: 27th Constitutional Amendment, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, NFC Award, Provincial Rights, Pakistan Politics