The Shehbaz Sharif Intensifies Consultations with Allies Ahead of 27th Constitutional Amendment as the federal government prepares to table the new draft in Parliament, nearly a year after the 26th Amendment was passed. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has begun a series of high-level meetings with coalition partners to secure consensus on the proposed constitutional changes that aim to redefine key governance and institutional powers.
Plans for the 27th Amendment were first confirmed on November 3, when Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari revealed that a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) delegation, led by the prime minister himself, sought his party’s backing. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar later confirmed that the amendment was “in the works” and assured lawmakers in the Senate on November 4 that it would be thoroughly debated before being referred to committee.
In a fresh round of political consultations in Islamabad, Shehbaz Sharif met delegations from several allied parties, including a seven-member team from Muttahida Qaumi Movement–Pakistan (MQM-P). During the meeting, the MQM-P emphasized strengthening local governance, to which the prime minister assured full support for incorporating their proposals in the 27th Amendment draft.
The premier also met representatives of Pakistan Muslim League–Quaid (PML-Q), Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), and the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP). The BAP delegation, which included Federal Minister for Science and Technology Khalid Hussain Magsi and Senator Manzoor Kakar, pressed for greater representation for Balochistan in both provincial and national assemblies. In addition, PML-Z chief Ijaz-ul-Haq and National Party MNA Mir Pullain Baloch also discussed the evolving amendment with the prime minister.
According to official sources, the 27th Amendment proposals include the establishment of a Constitutional Court, changes to Article 243 concerning the control and command of the armed forces, and the reintroduction of executive magistrates. Other provisions suggest altering the provincial share in the NFC Award, transferring education and population planning to the federation, and modifying appointment procedures for the Election Commission of Pakistan.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has strongly opposed the amendment, warning that it could compromise judicial independence and provincial autonomy. Senior PTI leader Asad Qaiser cautioned that any attempt to alter the NFC Award could cause “national instability” and reiterated the party’s objection to the creation of a Constitutional Court. PTI had also previously challenged the 26th Amendment in court.
In terms of numbers, the PML-N-led coalition currently commands 237 members in the National Assembly, exceeding the 224 votes required to pass a constitutional amendment. The ruling bloc includes 125 members from PML-N, 74 from PPP, 22 from MQM-P, five from PML-Q, four from IPP, and one each from PML-Z, BAP, and the National Party, alongside four independents. In the Senate, the alliance controls 61 seats, just three short of the 64 needed for passage.
The 26th Amendment was approved last year with 225 votes in the National Assembly and 65 in the Senate—barely meeting the required majority in both houses. The government now hopes to repeat that success as it moves to secure backing for the new amendment.
Shehbaz Sharif Intensifies Consultations with Allies Ahead of 27th Constitutional Amendment signals the beginning of another crucial political battle in Parliament as the government seeks to reshape Pakistan’s constitutional and governance landscape.
