28th Constitutional Amendment linked to budget, will arrive before April: Barrister Aqeel

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Law and Justice, Barrister Aqeel Malik, has said that the 28th Constitutional Amendment will be finalized and tabled before April, stressing that the amendment is directly linked to the upcoming federal budget.

Speaking on ARY News’ program Khabar, Barrister Aqeel Malik said the government plans to move forward with the 28th Constitutional Amendment only after building broad political consensus.

He added that key issues, including the NFC Award, Article 140-A, and local government matters, need to be discussed as part of the process. Once formal consultations start, he said, the amendment could be ready within two to four months.

 

The minister said the amendment must be ready before the next budget, as its provisions have a direct impact on federal financial planning. He reiterated that reforms in the local government law are essential, saying that strengthening local bodies requires necessary constitutional adjustments.

Sharing his personal view, he said local government elections should not be non-party based.

Barrister Aqeel Malik also touched upon other political and judicial matters, stating that judges have the right to resign if they wish, and added that he does not foresee any major movement or agitation emerging at the moment.

He noted that the Federal Constitutional Court has become operational, with three judgments already issued, and expressed confidence that the backlog of cases will gradually begin to clear.

On the issue of dual nationality, he said politicians are barred from holding dual citizenship and argued that the same standard should apply to bureaucrats. However, he added that a major coalition partner did not agree with this proposal.

Barrister Aqeel Malik said the government will continue to take all coalition partners on board regarding the 28th Amendment, the NFC Award, and other national issues. He added that the commitments made with MQM-P would also be finalized before the budget.

He reiterated that the 28th Constitutional Amendment will come before April, as its provisions are closely tied to the federal budget cycle.