NA passes 27th Amendment as opposition stages walkout

ISLAMABAD  (  WEB  NEWS  )

Pakistan’s National Assembly on Wednesday passed the momentous 27th Amendment bill with two-third majority as opposition staged walkout.

The proceedings were marked by intense political theatre, punctuated by the presence of prominent national leaders including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.

As Minister Tarar initiated his remarks, opposition members converged on the Speaker’s dais in a display of staunch dissent.

Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari Addresses the House

Following a brief interchange with the two Sharifs, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari addressed the Assembly. His speech was repeatedly marred by disruptive sloganeering from the opposition benches, predominantly PTI members, who championed party founder Imran Khan while brandishing his photographs. The opposition also vehemently protested by tearing up copies of the bill in the chamber.

Bhutto-Zardari commenced his address by solemnly condemning the recent surge in terrorist attacks across the nation. He implored all elected representatives to set aside political and ideological schisms and forge national unity to combat the country’s external and internal security threats.

Turning to the legislative substance, the PPP Chairman articulated that the 27th Amendment intends to realize the outstanding pledges of the Charter of Democracy, specifically referencing the establishment of constitutional courts and proposing amendments to Article 243, which includes constitutional protection for the rank of Field Marshal. He underscored the PPP’s commitment to achieving legislative consensus, mirroring their efforts during the landmark 18th Amendment and the original 1973 Constitution. He expressed a desire for a unified vote on the current amendment, acknowledging, however, that the government had secured the necessary majority but had been unable to forge that desired consensus.

Government Figures Castigate Dissent

In a spirited retort, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar castigated the opposition for their selective recollection of political history and their vociferous protest movement against the amendment during his speech in National Assembly. He took exception to the opposition’s appropriation of protest poetry, accusing them of selective morality and employing double standards. Tarar alleged that the PTI’s current objection to Parliament’s legal and political process for passing the amendment was hypocritical, juxtaposed against their past acceptance of what he termed “fascism” and the unconstitutional dismissal of the no-confidence motion in 2022.