Party chairman says CEC supports Article 243, constitutional courts and judicial transfers
Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari addresses a press conference in Karachi on Friday, November 7, 2025. SCREENGRAB
Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the party’s Central Executive Committee has decided to support the proposed 27th Amendment with conditional approval of provisions related to the establishment of constitutional courts and reforms in the judicial transfer process.
Addressing a press conference after the CEC meeting in Karachi, Bilawal stated, “I also made it clear yesterday that PPP will support Article 243 and will also vote for it.” He reiterated that the PPP is considering supporting three key amendments, including Article 243, constitutional courts and judicial transfers, to ensure that reforms are in line with democratic principles and judicial independence.
He said: “There are primarily three points in the constitutional amendment that the PPP is considering supporting. The first is Amendment 243, which has been under discussion for some time and is seen as an important step in strengthening parliamentary oversight. The second relates to the establishment of constitutional courts, particularly in light of ongoing government-in-government hearings drawn up by the government plan. The third relates to the transfer of judges, provided that both incoming and outgoing judges remain members of the commission tasked with overseeing these decisions.
He added that the idea of constitutional courts originated with the PPP itself. “This initiative has been part of every PPP manifesto and it was also included in the Charter of Democracy which mentions the establishment of constitutional courts,” he maintained.
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The PPP chairman further said the party’s CEC deliberated on the matter for two days and concluded that while the PPP supports the principle of establishing constitutional courts, other components of the Charter of Democracy must also move forward to ensure balance. “We will engage in dialogue with the government to see where further consensus can be forged,” he noted.
In relation to the proposal to change the process of transferring judges, Bilawal said the government’s proposal seeks to shift the authority away from the current system that requires consultation with the chief justices concerned and the consent of the judge, and transfers that power instead to the parliamentary committee that oversees judicial appointments.
He said the OPP is proposing an alternative mechanism. “We believe it would be more appropriate if the President initiates the process and if a role is to be given to the Judicial Commission, it would be an appropriate forum for serious discussion as it includes the Chief Justices and senior members of the judiciary,” he said.
Bilawal added that both the chief justices of the transferring and receiving high courts should be part of the voting process and the judge concerned should be given an opportunity to present their position before any final decision. “This would make the process more transparent and address the criticisms raised about the change.”
On other components of the proposed 27th amendment, including issues of dual nationality and executive magistrate, he said internal consultations were still ongoing. “At this stage I am not in a position to announce the PPP’s vote or support regarding the remaining proposed constitutional amendments,” he said.
Read more: OPP rejects key proposals in the 27th Amendment
A day earlier, the PPP had rejected the proposed change as the party’s top political decision-making body made it clear that there would be no compromise on provincial autonomy or provincial share in the National Finance Commission (NFC). Bilawal told reporters late Thursday night that the CEC would continue its deliberations on Friday, adding that final decisions would be announced after the meeting.
The PPP-CEC met to discuss the proposed 27th amendment, with President Asif Ali Zardari and senior party leader Faryal Talpur also present. The main agenda was to decide whether the party should support the government’s proposed constitutional amendments.
Bilawal said a delegation from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, had approached the PPP seeking support for the 27th amendment. “In response, we convened a meeting of the Central Executive Committee to discuss the matter,” he said. “The OPP will only support the amendment related to Article 243, while all other points have been rejected,” he added.
“The government has proposed an amendment to Article 243 to rename the post of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and introduce a new post of National Strategic Command. The OPP Central Executive Committee has authorized me to announce that the party only supports this amendment. All other items have either been completely rejected or discussions on them will continue tomorrow.”
Commenting on the proposal to create a constitutional court, Bilawal reiterated the party’s long-standing position that such a body must ensure equal representation of all provinces. “Even in the context of the Charter of Democracy, our party’s position remains that we are not ready to compromise on equal representation of all four provinces,” he said.
He noted that while the Charter of Democracy referred to the formation of a Constitutional Court, “there were also other matters included in the Charter.” He said the PPP’s CEC would meet again on Friday to continue discussions and reach a final decision regarding the proposed constitutional court.
