28th Constitutional Amendment Bill Reaches Senate Amid Political Debate
The 28th Amendment bill has officially reached the Senate Secretariat after JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza submitted the proposal on Tuesday. The Senate Secretary received the formal notice for the constitutional amendment, sparking fresh political debate across the country.
However, several senior political leaders have already raised concerns about introducing another constitutional change. Critics believe recent amendments have already altered important parts of the Constitution. Therefore, the latest proposal has triggered discussions about judicial independence, provincial autonomy, and political consensus. The development also comes at a time when lawmakers continue debating reforms related to governance and constitutional structure in Pakistan.
Raza Rabbani Opposes New Constitutional Changes
Senior PPP leader Raza Rabbani strongly opposed the proposed amendment and said the Constitution could not bear the burden of another change. In a statement issued on Monday, he argued that the 26th and 27th constitutional amendments had already weakened important constitutional provisions.
Rabbani particularly criticized changes related to the judiciary. He said the transfer of judges without consent could affect judicial independence. In addition, he warned against making changes to provincial autonomy or creating new provinces without broad political agreement.
According to Rabbani, the federal government should focus on addressing concerns created by previous amendments instead of introducing another constitutional package. He also stressed the importance of consulting all stakeholders before moving forward.
Government Signals Mixed Views on Amendment
Meanwhile, Azam Nazeer Tarar recently stated that he saw no clear indications of a 28th Amendment bill. However, he acknowledged that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement had long demanded constitutional reforms to strengthen local governments.
Last year, Adviser to the Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah also suggested that another amendment could become possible if political parties reached consensus on public issues.
The latest development now places the proposed amendment at the center of a growing political and constitutional debate in Pakistan.
