Islamabad, November 4, 2025: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday confirmed that the government would soon table the 27th Constitutional Amendment in Parliament, assuring lawmakers that the process would be transparent and follow all constitutional procedures.
Speaking during the Senate session, Dar said, “Of course the government is bringing it and will bring it … the 27th Amendment will arrive … and is about to arrive. We will try that it be tabled in accordance with principles, laws and the Constitution.”
His remarks came amid intensifying speculation and political debate over the proposed amendment, which some opposition parties fear could roll back powers devolved under the landmark 18th Amendment.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has already announced it will oppose the move “tooth and nail.” Meanwhile, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has confirmed that the government has approached it for support, prompting a broader national discussion on the scope and intent of the proposed reforms.
Dar said the government was following the standard legislative process, including extensive consultations with allies.
“The government does not have reservations on anything,” he told the Senate. “It is not the case that the amendment is tabled and there is voting on it in a haphazard, ad hoc manner; this will not happen.”
He added that the government was consulting the PPP first, being the largest coalition partner, and that other allies — including the MQM, IPP, PML-Q, ANP, and JUI-F — would also be taken on board before the amendment’s formal presentation.
Dar also referred to PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s post on X (formerly Twitter), acknowledging that his mention of certain issues under discussion was accurate.
“The areas he identified are not in the air. Let me also confess this thing, there have been talks on those topics,” Dar said.
He suggested that the amendment should first be tabled in the Senate, citing its “greater professionalism and value input” compared to the National Assembly.
Passing a constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority in both houses. In the 336-member National Assembly, the ruling coalition controls 233 seats, while the opposition holds 103. Within the coalition, the PML-N has 125 members, PPP 74, MQM-P 22, PML-Q five, IPP four, and smaller allied parties one seat each.
In the 96-member Senate, however, the government falls short of the two-thirds majority (64 votes) required for passage. With 61 senators, the coalition will need at least three votes from the opposition, likely from the JUI-F, to secure approval.
Afghanistan relations
During his speech, Dar also addressed Pakistan’s strained ties with Afghanistan, lamenting the “persistent deterioration” despite diplomatic outreach efforts.
He criticised the PTI government’s 2021 approach toward the Afghan Taliban, saying, “We went there and said: ‘I’m here for a cup of tea,’ but that cup of tea proved very costly. It reopened the borders, brought back 35,000–40,000 Taliban, and led to the release of 100 hardened criminals who had martyred hundreds of people. This was the biggest mistake.”
Dar said Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi had called him six times recently, but he reiterated Pakistan’s only demand — that no terrorist activities be carried out from Afghan soil.
“Even a supporter like me, who wants to help and hold your hand as a neighbour and Muslim country, is now helpless,” he said.
