That a 27th amendment to the Constitution is in the works is now officially confirmed. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has stated that he and President Asif Ali Zardari have been approached by the PML-N for the purpose. It is also ironic that the ruling allies had frequently denied that any such law was in the making, with the Deputy Prime Minister being on record saying, "…there isn't any need for it". What entailed it all of a sudden is not hard to guess given the perplexity of the government that is aiming to consolidate its grip on power at the peril of constitutional liberties bestowed upon the hapless nation.
The proposed amendment will come as another test of endurance for the politically-divisive coalition that is still in the woods for bulldozing the controversial 26th constitutional insertion. The planned legislation is clearly fraught with consequences, as it reportedly touch-bases upon issues that will come to alter the spirit of the Constitution, and further jeopardise the independence of judiciary. The proposals as reported in the media include: setting up constitutional courts in provinces; restoring executive magistrates and the powers to transfer judges; curtailing provincial share under the NFC award; and introducing a new paradigm of command and control pertaining to armed forces' hierarchy and appointments to the election commission. Some of the provisions under the spotlight are Articles 8, 199, 200, 234 and 243. Moreover, creation of new provinces is also likely to be addressed through this amendment, pushing the ante to renewed confrontation among the federating units. Also sought is the return of subjects like education and population planning back to the Centre, something that is tantamount to annulling the rationale of the 18th amendment that is so religiously guarded by the provinces.
The proposed law is surely an outcome of exigent politics. It should not come to repeat the trauma of coercion on the floor of the house in order to guarantee the arithmetic of 'ayes', and ensure that lawmakers are not in oblivion over the specifics to be legislated.
