Bilawal rejects proposed cut in provincial share under 27th Amendment

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has rejected the proposed reduction in the provincial share under the 27th Constitutional Amendment but announced support for Article 243.

The PPP Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting, chaired by Bilawal, was held at Bilawal House in Karachi on Thursday to discuss the proposed amendment. However, the party could not reach a final decision and decided to reconvene today (Friday) after Friday prayers.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Bilawal said the CEC would meet again to finalise its stance on the establishment of a constitutional court. He said the PPP would never accept the clause seeking to end the protection of the National Finance Commission (NFC) award.

“Except for Article 243, we have rejected all other proposed points,” he stated.

Earlier, senior party leaders, including the governors of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Gilgit-Baltistan, the Sindh chief minister, federal and provincial lawmakers, and key figures of the party arrived at Bilawal House to attend the meeting.

Those present included President Asif Ali Zardari, Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani, former Sindh chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Qadir Patel, Qadir Baloch, Nafisa Shah, Mehdi Shah, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Nayyar Bukhari, Murad Ali Shah, Sardar Saleem Haider, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, and Raza Rabbani.

Bilawal added that the party’s stance was clear — any attempt to curtail provincial rights or undermine the NFC framework would be firmly opposed. The final decision on the proposed 27th Amendment is expected after the next CEC session.