Bilawal Bhutto Takes Firm Stance On 26th Constitutional Amendment

• The Chairman of Pakistan People’s Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, said that his party is not in the Federal government and the party is away from National Assembly matters.
• The 26th constitutional amendment in the selection of CJP can only be done by the Parliament itself. 
• Any changes done by the other institutions outside the Parliament and even by his party will not be accepted.

Parliament holds authority over 26th amendment:

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has made it clear that he and his party will not accept any changes made in the constitutional law unless the Parliament itself makes these changes. He stressed that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) will not accept external involvement by any means.

He said, “The rollback of the amendment is a matter for Parliament alone.” 

The 26th amendment in the Constitutional law focused on the Chief Justice of Pakistan’s selection criteria. The bill was passed in October 2024 regarding these amendments. The amendments aim to change Article 175-A. The new amendments change the old tradition of selecting the CJP selection criteria.

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In the old tradition, the CJP is selected based on the services provided in the institution. The most senior judge of the Supreme Court was appointed as the Chief Justice of Pakistan. The 26th Constitutional Amendment has become a negotiable topic. That is why the Apex court scheduled January 27 to hear the petitions over this matter. 

PPP stays out of Federal cabinet:

Bilawal Bhutto has a firm stance that his party is not part of the Federal cabinet. He said, “I am neither a minister nor holding any government position.” He cleared it in front of the media who kept asking him about his role in the administration department. He is also aware that there is no official agenda behind his upcoming visit to the United States.

Judiciary should uphold the constitution:

Bilawal Bhutto also commented on the Judiciary system. He said that the judiciary should respect the constitutional laws and constitution. Bilawal Bhutto also said that Judges should be united and maintain harmony among them. He also said that when new judges are elected then other judges should respect the decision and make a way open for the other Judges rather than creating obstacles in their ways. 

Bhutto said, “All benches, whether constitutional or regular, must respect the Constitution and the law.” Bilawal Bhutto recalled the past controversies, including the selection of Justice Yahya Afridi as Chief Justice in October 2024.

Foreign policy and nuclear assets:

Bilawal Bhutto highlighted the significance of the nuclear assets and the foreign policy. He said that Pakistan’s nuclear assets owe to the efforts of the great Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto. Bilawal Bhutto affirmed that we will not compromise on our nuclear program. He also talked about the complexities of the region and threw light on the relationship between the United States and China.

PECA amendments and Media consultation:

The reporters asked about the stance of Bhutto on the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and the objections to it. Bhutto said that freedom of expression is essential in a democratic country. Pakistan is made so that every individual gets full freedom of speech. When individuals do not get their due rights then how can a country survive? 

He also criticized the government for not taking stakeholders in confidence before passing the amendments. He suggested that before a final verdict on these amendments, the government should ask media representatives and digital experts to create a consensus.