PPP Secretary General Nayyar Bokhari on Sunday asserted that provincial autonomy “must remain free from interference,” amid concerns over a proposed 28th constitutional amendment that could potentially roll back the 18th Amendment's devolution of powers.
Concerns over proposed 28th Amendment
In a statement, Bokhari referred to the proposed 28th constitutional amendment, about which PPP insiders have expressed fear that it could deal a serious blow to the financial autonomy and powers over certain key portfolios that were devolved to the provinces after 2010 under the 18th Constitutional Amendment. The 18th Amendment, passed under the PPP-led government in 2010, was a landmark legislation that devolved powers to the provinces in key areas of public services, including health, women’s development, social welfare and local government. Under the amendment, the provinces’ share of federal resources was set at 57.5 per cent.
Past calls for review
Calls for a review of the 18th Amendment have been made several times in the past from different sides of the political spectrum. There have been reports of an amendment being considered to roll back the 18th Amendment in recent days as well, but nothing has been said with complete certainty by anyone from the ruling PML-N, of which the PPP is an ally in the Centre.
Bokhari's statement
In his statement, Bokhari said nothing had been “presented in black and white” regarding the proposed 28th constitutional amendment so far. “The issue of the National Finance Commission has been raised under the 28th Amendment. The provinces resolved the matter themselves and provided funds to the federation from their own resources,” he said, seemingly referring to a recent arrangement under which the government has decided to freeze development allocations for the provinces for three years to generate more than Rs900 billion in additional resources for the Centre’s strategic needs ahead of the FY2026-27 budget.
PPP's separate politics
Bokhari said that while the PPP had supported the PML-N in budget formulation, the politics of both parties “remain separate”. He also referred to a statement by PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, saying it was issued “keeping ground realities in view”. While Bokhari did not specify which statement he was referring to, Bilawal recently hit out at the PML-N over the delay in holding local government polls in Punjab and Islamabad and accused it of attempting to create differences between the PPP and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on the issue.
Merit to remain key in 'Apna Khet Apna Rozgar' scheme
In a separate development, Bokhari also commented on the 'Apna Khet Apna Rozgar' scheme, stating that merit will remain key in its implementation.
