Parliamentary leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the Senate of Pakistan, Senator Sherry Rehman, reminded the House about the need for national consensus and constitutional integrity during today’s Senate debate on the 27th Constitutional Amendment.
Speaking on the floor of the House, Senator Rehman said that “The PPP has always stood strong in protecting peoples rights and that it is due to the Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari that you have so many days of debate and discussion on the bill. It is due to the PPP Chair that you have open discussion on constitutional rights and amendments. It is due to the PPP that the vulnerable, the marginalised and the smaller provinces have any voice in the federation. I would infact invite the opposition too to play their part in democratic decision-making.”
She urged members of the law committee to go do their duty by the people at which point several members got up and actually went to the committee. “We have paid the price to preserve democracy and provincial autonomy. The 1973 Constitution — established through the sacrifice and vision of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto — remains the guarantor of our collective rights. Now if the federation is not able to meet its expenses we can all sit and figure out where the money is going in waste, not by cuts on the provinces. Out of a huge budget of 17.5 trillion rupees, just the SOEs drained 5.8 trillion rupees out of that budget. Why are these expenditures not being checked?”
Reiterating the PPP’s unwavering commitment to democracy, Senator Rehman said, “The Pakistan Peoples Party has always stood firm in defending the Constitution, the 18th Amendment, and the rights of the federating units — and we continue to do so today. This bill does not in any way dilute the spirit of the 18th Amendment or undermine the foundations of the 1973 Constitution.”
Addressing concerns of constitutional backsliding, Senator Rehman clarified that “nothing is being reversed.” She added, “This is not about ideology or fundamentalism — the real issue before us is the fair distribution and management of Pakistan’s resources. Democracy is a journey that requires constant vigilance, consensus, and contribution from all sides.”
Senator Rehman also recalled the Charter of Democracy, signed between the PPP and the PML-N, as a historic covenant to protect Pakistan’s democratic order. “Just as we upheld the Charter then, we also implement its remaining commitments now. The Constitutional Court was the first promise in the charter of democracy. I would request the government to ensure that other issues agreed upon by our leaders be implemented too.”
“The PPP believes in strengthening parliamentary democracy and safeguarding the spirit of provincial rights. Our identity, our struggle, and our sacrifices have always been for the preservation of constitutionalism and people’s representation,” Senator Rehman concluded.
