Bilawal says tampering with NFC, 18th amendment akin to ‘playing with fire’

Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari warned that any attempt to water down provincial powers or undermine the constitutional protections granted under the 18th Amendment would be “playing with fire.”

Bilawal delivered the warning during a video address marking the PPP’s 58th foundation day, broadcast simultaneously across more than 100 districts.

Recalling earlier proposals by the ruling PML-N to amend the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, Bilawal said the PPP had opposed these measures. He noted that this opposition was why the proposed amendments were ultimately excluded from the final draft of the 27th Constitutional Amendment.

Pakistan’s structural challenges, he said, were rooted in the country’s history, and the PPP had worked to strengthen the federation by restoring democracy and ensuring provincial rights and representation.

Bilawal cautioned political forces trying to cast doubt on decisions taken by parliament, saying that making laws and framing the constitution was the exclusive responsibility of the elected representatives.

He said that when a constitutional amendment is passed through consensus and majority, only Parliament has the power to revise or amend it. Demanding that courts or judges decide the fate of a constitutional amendment, he said, was an overstatement.

“This is not their authority, nor will we allow any other institution to interfere with the jurisdiction of Parliament. No court has had, has or will have the power to nullify a constitutional amendment,” he noted.

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He emphasized that the state had strengthened the federation by ensuring political, economic and administrative inclusion through the 18th amendment and the NFC award. Those seeking to undo those gains, he said, ignored how those measures helped neutralize separatist policies that hostile foreign powers once exploited. “Those trying to tinker with the NFC award or the 18th Amendment are really playing with fire,” he warned.

Citing rising regional tensions, Bilawal said the government must avoid giving hostile actors opportunities to exploit Pakistan’s internal divisions — especially at a time when India’s defense minister is issuing aggressive statements and Pakistan’s relationship with Afghanistan remains strained.

He also expressed concern over the country’s political climate, saying Pakistan’s internal divisions had reached unprecedented levels of bitterness. “Our differences may be political, but the level of acrimony that has arisen in Pakistan’s political culture – the fever that has gripped our politics – has reached a stage where members of one political party are unwilling to talk to those from another,” he said.

Bilawal called on all political stakeholders to adopt a path of ceasefire and reconciliation, noting that the second part of the Charter of Democracy calls for political peace.

“The second part of the Charter of Democracy is ceasefire and reconciliation and I believe all stakeholders must follow this path to deal with the political crisis. Only then can all political parties work together to steer the country out of the challenges it faces at home and internationally. Otherwise we will continue to fight among ourselves and those who conspire against Pakistan will exploit our divisions,” he warned.

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Bilawal praised the PPP for defending the economic rights of the provinces and accused the PML-N of trying to revive the executive magistracy system and reclaim issues devolved to the provinces – such as education and population control. The PPP, he said, would support measures that strengthened the federation but would never support any move that weakened provincial autonomy.

On the newly created Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) created under the 27th Amendment, Bilawal said some elements were trying to cast doubt on the institution. He expressed hope that the FCC would prove its critics wrong. He stressed that decisions on constitutional amendments remained the prerogative of parliament and criticized those seeking judicial intervention in such matters.

He said the FCC had assumed the nation’s highest constitutional jurisdiction and would now oversee major constitutional and policy issues, while the Supreme Court would focus on criminal cases. Bilawal hoped the FCC would not follow the path of past judicial abuses and refer to courts that had ventured into administrative and political matters — from fixing commodity prices to disqualifying prime ministers.

Bilawal concluded by noting that the PPP had fulfilled its commitment to establish a constitutional court and had ensured equal provincial representation in it, expressing hope that the new judicial structure would strengthen public confidence and improve access to justice.