Pakistan’s proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment is expected to be tabled before the year ends, according to Huzaifa Rehman, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister. He said significant progress has been made on the draft.
Speaking on a television programme, Rehman described the amendment as inevitable and said it would be introduced before the New Year.
Draft details and timeline still being finalised
Rehman said some details of the draft had yet to be settled. He acknowledged that the timeline could shift by a week or 10 days, but insisted the amendment would go ahead.
Debate over creating new provinces
Rehman also responded to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s call to end discussion on new provinces. He said that debate had not formally begun and questioned how it could be concluded without first gauging public opinion.
He said parliament and a referendum were the proper forums for assessing public sentiment, with a referendum serving as an alternative if parliament was unwilling. He warned the amendment could be the last opportunity to create new provinces. “If new provinces are not created through the 28th Constitutional Amendment, they will never be created,” he said.
