The Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) has urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to include stronger provisions for local government empowerment in the upcoming 27th Constitutional Amendment. The party believes that greater authority at the municipal level is essential to effectively address urban challenges and improve governance across Pakistan’s major cities. The call for reforms came during a detailed meeting at the Prime Minister’s House between the MQM-P leadership and key members of the federal government.
The seven-member MQM-P delegation was led by Convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and included Governor Sindh Kamran Khan Tessori, Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal, and National Assembly members Dr Farooq Sattar, Javed Hanif Khan, Syed Aminul Haque, and Khawaja Izharul Hassan. The delegation pressed the Prime Minister to ensure that the 27th Constitutional Amendment includes clauses that guarantee functional autonomy and financial independence for local bodies.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was accompanied by top government officials including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahsan Iqbal, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, and Advisor Rana Sanaullah.
According to insiders, the MQM-P delegation emphasized that urban centers like Karachi, Hyderabad, and Sukkur face critical governance issues that require empowered local administrations capable of decision-making without excessive bureaucratic delays.
In a related development, a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) delegation also met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for in-depth consultations on the amendment before departing for Karachi. Sources revealed that the PPP leadership, along with Ishaq Dar, Azam Nazir Tarar, Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Sanaullah, and Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan, discussed the party’s stance on the proposed changes.
Following the meeting, the PPP delegation left from Nur Air Base on a special flight to Karachi, where the party has convened a Central Executive Council (CEC) meeting at 7 pm today to deliberate further on the 27th amendment and finalize its internal position.
