28th Constitutional Amendment Likely Before December 15, 15 to 17 New Provinces May Be Created: Fawad Chaudhry
LAHORE: Former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry has predicted that the 28th Constitutional Amendment could be introduced in Parliament before December 15, potentially paving the way for the creation of 15 to 17 new provinces in Pakistan.
Speaking to the media, Chaudhry said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its founder, Imran Khan, had consistently supported the creation of new provinces. He added that if PTI pursued the issue through effective political engagement, it could also help secure Imran Khan’s release.
Chaudhry said Imran Khan was currently the only politician of his stature who supported the creation of new provinces, while PTI was the only political party openly advocating the idea.
He suggested that if the government or the establishment intended to take serious steps towards creating new provinces, they should directly engage with PTI and seek its support for the proposed administrative changes.
Predicting developments in the coming weeks, Chaudhry said he personally believed the 28th Constitutional Amendment would be introduced in Parliament before December 15 this year. He claimed the proposed amendment could result in the creation of 15 to 17 new provinces. However, he did not provide details of the proposed constitutional changes.
He argued that PTI could improve its political position and potentially facilitate Imran Khan’s release if it handled the issue of new provinces strategically and pursued an effective political approach.
Political deadlock and negotiations
Commenting on the ongoing political deadlock and obstacles to negotiations, Chaudhry criticised both the current PTI leadership and the government.
He described PTI’s current leadership as ineffective and accused the government of adopting an authoritarian approach. He said the ruling authorities appeared unwilling to provide relief to political opponents, including those in detention.
Referring to previous proposals for negotiations, Chaudhry said he had earlier called for senior PTI leaders imprisoned at Kot Lakhpat Jail, including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Ijaz Chaudhry, Mian Mahmoodur Rashid, Dr Yasmin Rashid and Umar Cheema, to be included in the negotiation process.
He alleged that the government had failed to provide them with any meaningful relief.
Chaudhry also criticised the involvement of individuals he described as disconnected from PTI in behind-the-scenes negotiations, arguing that the party’s current leadership needed to reconsider its strategy and make effective political decisions in response to changing circumstances.
He maintained that PTI would struggle to achieve its objectives unless it adopted a serious, robust and well-planned political strategy.
The prediction regarding the 28th Constitutional Amendment and the creation of new provinces reflects Chaudhry’s personal assessment; no official announcement confirming such a proposal was cited in his remarks.
