MQM-P says it's in contact with govt over 27th amendment

• Sattar claims new amendment discussed with PM.
• He says PM assured inclusion of local bodies clause.
• No confirmation from govt on new amendment.

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) stated that it is in contact with federal government representatives regarding the 27th Constitutional Amendment.

"We discussed this with Prime Minister [Shehbaz Sharif] in our meeting, and he assured us that the local bodies clause would be included in the next constitutional amendment," MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar told Geo News on Tuesday.

Sattar, the MQM-P's senior deputy convener, acknowledged that while talks about another amendment are ongoing, no timeframe has been set for when it would be introduced in parliament.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led government has yet to confirm any plans to further amend the Constitution after the 26th amendment, though there are reports of potential changes. Earlier this month, the government and its allies approved constitutional changes that included empowerment of parliament to appoint the Supreme Court's chief justice, a move criticised by opposition parties as an attempt to undermine the judiciary.

"It has been settled that parliament is supreme," Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said after his ruling coalition garnered the required two-thirds majority to amend the Constitution for the 26th time since it was enacted in 1973.

Meanwhile, sources within the MQM-P told Geo News that the party has formed a committee to build consensus on the new amendment. This committee, they said, would soon reach out to other parties in Islamabad.

Last week, sources reported that PM Shehbaz and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari discussed a proposed "27th constitutional amendment centered on provincial rights." The meeting also decided to take opposition party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), government ally MQM-P, and other parties into confidence on the next major legislation.

In a conversation with Geo News' Hamid Mir on Capital Talk, PML-N leader Tallal Chaudhry said that any future amendments would be based on need.

When asked about introducing a law regarding the minimum number of judges, he stated: "The parliament will decide on that, but the number of judges will be more than 23."