Islamabad, May 14,2026: Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Thursday denied that any formal discussions had taken place with the federal government regarding a proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment, saying he would comment if any development emerged in the future.
“No talks have taken place yet on the 28th Amendment; [but] I do not know about tomorrow,” Bilawal said while addressing the PPP parliamentary party meeting.
During his address, Bilawal said he had previously spoken about the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment and noted that both the 26th and 27th amendments were aimed at protecting provincial rights.
He said the PPP had played a key role in ensuring representation of all provinces in the Supreme Court and the Federal Constitutional Court.
Bilawal’s remarks came after Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik rejected claims that a possible 28th Constitutional Amendment would reverse the landmark 18th Amendment.
“This impression being created that if the 28th Amendment is introduced, it is a rollback of the 18th Amendment — I believe an extremely false impression is being created,” Aqeel Malik said during a television talk show.
The minister clarified that no official work was currently underway on any constitutional amendment, although broader national issues had been discussed in political circles.
The 18th Constitutional Amendment, passed during the PPP-led government in 2010, significantly enhanced provincial autonomy and devolved several federal powers to the provinces. The PPP has consistently opposed any move to dilute or amend the legislation.
During the meeting, Bilawal also announced the formation of a four-member committee to negotiate with the federal government on the upcoming budget.
The committee includes former Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Naveed Qamar, Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, and Senator Sherry Rehman.
Bilawal said the federal government would require PPP’s support to pass both constitutional amendments and the federal budget.
He warned that the upcoming budget could create additional economic hardships for the public amid ongoing inflation and economic challenges.
“Pakistan is facing an economic crisis, and inflation is severely affecting the people,” he said, adding that political parties were fully aware of the public’s difficulties.
Bilawal welcomed relief measures introduced by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and said the PPP would cooperate with the federal government to reduce economic pressure on citizens.
He also stated that no proposal had been made to him regarding the Iran–US conflict and related negotiations, while expressing hope that future talks between Tehran and Washington would succeed.
