ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has assured the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) of full support for its proposed amendments to the local government law under the 27th Constitutional Amendment.
The assurance came during a meeting between the prime minister and an MQM-P delegation at the PM House on Thursday. The delegation included Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal, and senior party leaders Dr Farooq Sattar, Javed Hanif Khan, Syed Aminul Haque, and Khawaja Izharul Hassan.
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The meeting was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, and several federal ministers, including Khawaja Asif and Attaullah Tarar.
According to an MQM-P spokesperson, Prime Minister Shehbaz assured the delegation that the government would incorporate the party’s proposed bill related to Article 140-A of the Constitution—pertaining to local governments—into the upcoming amendment package.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had earlier sought the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) support for the amendment, which includes proposals to establish a Constitutional Court, restore executive magistrates, and amend Article 243, which governs the command of the armed forces.
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While the PPP has reportedly agreed to most proposals, it has raised objections to changes concerning the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, emphasizing that provincial shares in national resources must remain constitutionally protected.
The PPP’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) is set to meet today at Bilawal House, Karachi, under President Asif Ali Zardari’s leadership, to finalize the party’s stance on the amendment.
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Meanwhile, government sources said that treasury members currently abroad have been instructed to return to Islamabad immediately as the coalition prepares to present the 27th Amendment in Parliament.