PPP draft includes establishment of Constitutional Court: Bilawal Bhutto

Liaquat Ali

Islamabad: Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, on Friday said that the proposed draft of constitutional amendments presented by his party included the establishment of a Constitutional Court and amendments to Articles 175 A, B, D, E, and F.

Speaking to the media in his chamber at Parliament House, he said that the government has given time to reach a consensus on constitutional amendments related to judicial reforms.

Bilawal said that while the PPP’s final document has been released, the draft from Maulana Fazlur Rahman has not yet been formally received.

He also mentioned that the PPP’s draft has been with Kamran Murtaza for over a week.

“If the government has a two-thirds of majority and still seeks consensus, it is commendable,” he said.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stressed that the government intends to work within the framework of the constitution and the law, noting that the PPP has always pursued constitutional amendments through consensus.

“The PML-N has the right to amend the constitution in line with the Charter of Democracy,” he said.

Expressing gratitude to the government, Bilawal said, “I appreciate their willingness to insist on consensus among all political parties. However, if consensus cannot be reached, how long will the government wait?” He reiterated that only the PPP’s full draft has been released, and the JUI’s draft is still pending.

He shared that a detailed meeting of the Parliamentary Committee took place on Friday, where all parties presented their views. The PPP presented its original draft proposals, which focused on issues related to the Constitutional Court.

Bilawal also mentioned that the Law Minister conducted thorough consultations with lawyers, whose suggestions were considered during the meeting. Opposition parties also shared their feedback on the proposals.

He said that Maulana Fazlur Rahman reaffirmed his position of wanting to develop a consensus-based draft with the PPP. “We also reiterated that any constitutional amendment should be carried out through consensus among political parties. Our efforts are focused on producing a consensus draft, and we are not opposing suggestions without reason,” he said.

Bilawal further highlighted that the federal government is confident in its majority. “The Law Minister indicated they have a two-thirds majority, but they are still willing to engage all political parties to build consensus on this issue,” he said.

“I appreciate their approach, but since last month, we’ve been working towards a consensus. The question now is, how long will the government provide us with space and time to reach one?” he added.

Bilawal said, “I am doing my best to foster a consensus. If this process takes longer than expected, the government may choose to exercise its constitutional right and proceed with the amendments.”