Speculation regarding the alleged hidden clauses within the 27th Constitutional Amendment intensified after a senior journalist directly questioned Minister of State Aqueel Malik on whether the amendment provides any legal cover to the position of Deputy Prime Minister. During his appearance on Geo News’ program “Capital Talk,” Malik chose not to give a definitive answer, stating he “cannot confirm or deny” the query. His cautious response further fuels the deep ambiguity surrounding the amendment’s final draft.
The Minister of State did attempt to provide an economic rationale for the amendment by focusing on the National Finance Commission (NFC) award. He argued that under the NFC formula, provinces receive 57 percent of the national revenue, leaving the federal government with insufficient funds to manage other critical national affairs.
Conversely, Palwasha Khan, a Senator from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), demanded that any proposal seeking to amend the NFC formula must be presented to the nation with complete transparency. Her statement indicates a significant level of mistrust, even among the government’s coalition partners, regarding changes to the provinces’ financial share.
Adding to the controversy, Shafqat Awan of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) claimed that not only the opposition but also members of the ruling alliance are unaware of the complete draft of the 27th Amendment. This situation raises serious questions about the government’s process of building parliamentary and public confidence for such a major constitutional initiative.
