18th Amendment Is Close to the Provinces’ Hearts, Cannot Be Compromised: Shazia Marri

Islamabad: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Central Information Secretary Shazia Marri has reaffirmed that the 18th Constitutional Amendment is deeply valued by the provinces and that the party will not allow any compromise on it.

In an exclusive conversation, Shazia Marri said that for some time there have been speculations regarding a possible 27th Amendment. She confirmed that the government has now formally approached the PPP seeking its support for the proposed amendment.

Marri emphasized that the PPP was instrumental in creating consensus over provincial autonomy and that “rolling back the powers granted under the 18th Amendment would neither be appropriate nor possible.” She reiterated that the 18th Amendment “is very close to the provinces’ hearts and cannot be compromised under any circumstances.”

She further stated that the government’s proposal regarding the 27th Amendment will be presented before the PPP’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) for discussion and decision-making.

Commenting on political dialogue, Shazia Marri said that the PPP will engage with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on public issues and will evaluate the 27th Amendment from a people’s perspective. She added that the PPP will take all decisions based on its principled stance, and if the government seeks consensus, “there can be dialogue—but only within constitutional and democratic limits.”