No plans to change 18th Amendment, says PMLN. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) categorically rejected on Monday speculations suggesting that the party is contemplating amendments to the 18th Constitutional Amendment if it secures victory in upcoming elections.
The party’s manifesto committee, led by Senator Irfan Siddiqui, and Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb both refuted the claims, asserting that no such recommendations had been received or discussed in party meetings.
A recent news report, published in an English daily, alleged that the PML-N’s manifesto committee had received suggestions, including a potential reversal of the 18th Amendment, aimed at altering the distribution of financial resources among provinces.
The report cited concerns from unnamed PML-N sources, indicating a belief among the party’s top leadership that the current financial distribution mechanism, established under the 18th Amendment, has led to unsustainable fiscal challenges.
Senator Siddiqui, a close confidant of PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, emphasized that discussions about changes to the 18th Amendment had not taken place within the party’s meetings. Similarly, Marriyum Aurangzeb dismissed the report as false.
The 18th Amendment, enacted in 2010 during the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led government, decentralized powers to provinces on issues such as health, women’s development, social welfare, and local government.
It also delineated the distribution of federal resources, with provinces receiving 57.5% while the remaining funds were allocated to the center for debt servicing, development programs, defense, and other areas.
The anonymous PML-N sources cited in the report expressed reservations about the financial responsibilities being shifted to the center in the name of provincial autonomy.
While the party leaders suggested that outright reversal of the 18th Amendment might not be pursued, they hinted at a potential reconsideration of its key features to address fiscal concerns.
As PMLN says that thare are no plans to change 18th Amendment, the 18th Amendment has been a subject of extensive discourse, with calls for revisions over time.
The PML-N’s position on this matter holds significant implications for the country’s political landscape, as any alterations to the constitutional provision could impact the distribution of powers and resources between the federal and provincial levels.
With elections on the horizon, the stance of major political parties on constitutional matters adds depth to the ongoing political dialogue in Pakistan.
