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Wednesday, 5 November, 2025 | 13 Jamadiul Awwal, 1447
Rs 20.00 | Vol XVI No 119 | 8 Pages | Islamabad Edition
DAR CONFIRMS 27TH CONSTITUTIONAL AMEND ‘ABOUT TO ARRIVE’, ASSURES ‘TRANSPARENT PROCESS’
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DEPUTY PM VOWS ROBUST DEBATE, g DAR URGES TABLING g PPP TO FINALISE STANCE NO ‘HAPHAZARD’ PASSAGE OF OF AMENDMENT AFTER CEC MEETING, SAYS BILL, SAYING GOVT CONSULTING FIRST IN SENATE FOR SHERRY REHMAN AS BILAWAL PPP AND PROMISING TO TAKE ALL ‘PROFESSIONAL CONFIRMED GOVT ALLIES ON BOARD INPUT’ APPROACHED PARTY DPM DAR BLAMES 2021 POLICY ON TALIBAN FOR CURRENT CROSS-BORDER TENSIONS
Rabbani warns 27th Amendment would undo 18th, threaten federal unity
Sanaullah says Constitution not ‘final word’, open to evolution
Staff RepoRt
Staff RepoRt
ISLAMABAD
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ISLAMABAD
Saleem Jadoon
EPUTY Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday confirmed that the much-debated 27th Constitutional Amendment will be formally tabled in Parliament soon, assuring opposition lawmakers that the process will be transparent, inclusive, and fully compliant with constitutional procedure. Speaking during the Senate session, Dar said the government was committed to ensuring “robust debate and scrutiny” through parliamentary committees before any voting takes place. “Of course, the government is bringing it and will bring it … the 27th
Amendment will arrive and is about to arrive. We will try that it is tabled in accordance with principles, laws and the Constitution,” he said. He assured PTI Senator Barrister Ali Zafar that the amendment would not be rushed through Parliament, adding, “It will not be that the amendment is tabled and there is voting in a haphazard, ad hoc manner—this will not happen.” The remarks come amid intense political speculation after the PPP claimed the government had sought its support for the proposed constitutional changes, triggering a nationwide debate over possible implications for provincial autonomy and the 18th Amendment.
Four Indian-sponsored terrorists eliminated in Kalat IBO: ISPR KALAT
Staff RepoRt
The security forces personnel eliminated four Indiansponsored terrorists, belonging to Fitna al-Hindustan, in an operation in Balochistan’s Kalat District, according to the military’s media wing on Tuesday. In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said, “On the night of 1 November 2025, the security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in Kalat District on the reported presence of terrorists belonging to the Indian proxy, Fitna al-Hindustan. During the conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location, and resultantly, four Indiansponsored terrorists were sent to hell.” The statement said that weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the killed terrorists, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities. “Sanitization operations were being conducted to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored terrorists found in the area as the relentless counter-terrorism campaign under the vision “Azm-e-Istehkam” (as approved by the Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) by the security forces and law-enforcement agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and -supported terrorism from the country,” the ISPR said. A day earlier, three Khwarij terrorists belonging to the Indian proxy Fitna Al-Khwarij were killed in two separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Movement of a group of Khwarij, opposite the general area of Esham in the North Waziristan District, who were trying to infiltrate through the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, was picked up by the security forces. Own troops effectively engaged this group of Khwarij.
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Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) stalwart and former Senate chairman Raza Rabbani on Tuesday cautioned that the government’s proposed constitutional changes — reportedly forming part of a 27th Amendment— would effectively roll back the landmark 18th Constitutional Amendment, warning that tampering with provincial autonomy could cast “deep shadows over the federation.” The senior parliamentarian’s statement came a day after the PPP confirmed that it had been approached by its coalition partner, the PML-Nled federal government, to seek support for the proposed amendment. The move has drawn sharp criticism from across the political and legal spectrum, with many terming it an attempt to recentralize powers devolved to provinces under the 18th Amendment.
ISLAMABAD
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Monday said that while a country’s constitution is a sacred document, “it is not immutable nor the final word,” noting that amendments reflecting changing times and governance needs are part of “democratic evolution.” Speaking to the media, the senior PML-N leader reminded that the Constitution of Pakistan has been amended 26 times, stressing that any further change remains possible whenever two-thirds of parliament agrees. “Changing times and circumstances often require amendments to improve governance and balance powers. Political processes never stop; debate and discussion on different issues are essential features of democracy,” he remarked.
tarar says ptI founder’s false claims against pM Shehbaz ‘fully exposed’ in court LAHORE
Staff RepoRt
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday said that the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had built his politics on “falsehood and slander,” reiterating that the false allegations levelled against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the Rs10 billion defamation case had been completely exposed in court. Talking to the media after recording his statement as a witness in the defamation suit filed by the Prime Minister, Tarar said that all evidence had been submit-
ted before the court and significant progress had been achieved in the proceedings. “We are hopeful that justice will soon be served,” he remarked. The minister recalled that the defamation suit was instituted in July 2017, but the PTI founder’s legal team had sought 120 adjournments to delay the trial. “Even today, their lawyer was absent. They have neither any evidence nor any argument left to offer,” he stated. Praising Shehbaz Sharif’s decades-long public service, Tarar said the Prime Minister had been part of both the National and Provincial Assemblies since 1988,
served three terms as Chief Minister of Punjab and twice as Prime Minister, dedicating his entire life to national progress. Referring to a foreign individual involved in the same smear campaign—later discredited by a London court—the minister said the person even provided a social media platform to terrorist Ehsanullah Ehsan, which he termed “a disgraceful act no civilized nation would tolerate.” On local government elections, Tarar reaffirmed the government’s commitment to timely polls and local empowerment, while on the 27th Constitutional Amendment, he said consultations were continuing to strengthen judicial institutions.
KP govt convenes ‘peace Jirga’ to evolve ‘unified strategy’ for restoring peace on Nov 12 CM AFRIDI, JUNAID CHAIR HIGH-LEVEL MEETING TO FINALISE JIRGA PLAN TO BE IN KP ASSEMBLY PESHAWAR
Staff RepoRt
Amid escalating security concerns and a deteriorating law and order situation, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday announced that it would convene a “peace jirga” in the provincial assembly on November 12, bringing together political leaders, civil society representatives, and legal dignitaries to evolve a unified strategy for restoring peace in the province. The decision was made during a high-level consultative meeting of the PTI’s KP leadership, jointly chaired by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and Provincial PTI President Junaid Akbar. The meeting was attended by Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, Provincial Secretary General Ali Asghar Khan, Ministers Meena Khan Afridi and Aftab Alam Khan, PTI spokesperson Shafi Jan, MNAs Atif Khan, Dr Amjad Khan, Arbab Sher Ali, and PTI Peshawar President Irfan Saleem. The party said the peace jirga would be held at 11 a.m. in the KP Assembly Hall, and would include the heads, presidents, and general secretaries of all political parties, along with former chief ministers, governors, members of civil society, and representatives of the KP Bar Association. “The deteriorating law and order situation cannot be addressed by one party alone. This will be a national peace jirga to forge consensus on restoring peace,” MNA Atif Khan told reporters, adding that around 20 political parties would be invited. The jirga, he said, aims to send a message of unity and shared resolve across political divides for the restoration of stability in KP. The meeting also discussed the overall political climate and the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment, focusing on its potential impact on provincial autonomy. CM Afridi meets Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Chief Minister Afridi, who has been reaching out to political leaders, visited Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen head Allama Raja Nasir Abbas to personally invite them to the moot. According to a statement from the CM’s House, Afridi stressed that the merged districts’ share in the National Finance Commission (NFC) award had yet to be delivered, warning that tampering with the NFC formula would endanger national unity. Achakzai assured the chief minister of his full support for safeguarding KP’s constitutional and financial rights and for collaborative efforts to restore peace in the province.
ptI lawmakers move LHC against punjab Local govt Act 2025 LAHORE
Staff RepoRt
Lawmakers of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday challenged key provisions of the recently enacted Punjab Local Government Act (PLGA) 2025 in the Lahore High Court (LHC), terming them unconstitutional and an assault on democratic rights. The petition—filed by Opposition Leader Muhammad Moeenuddin Riaz, Hafiz
Farhat Abbas and Ali Imtiaz—argues that several sections of the new law, passed by the Punjab Assembly last month amid opposition protests, violate fundamental rights and constitutional guarantees. The Punjab government has been named as the respondent, while Justice Sultan Tanvir will hear the case, according to counsel Abuzar Salman Niazi. The petition challenges Sections 15, 32, 25, 40, 55, 56 and 57 of the Act, declaring them “unconstitutional, unreasonable, and illegitimate.” It asserts that these
provisions “brazenly contravene” Articles 8, 9, 17, 32 and 140-A of the Constitution—which safeguard fundamental rights, freedom of association, and the establishment of empowered local governments. “The PLGA 2025 is a restrictive law designed to curtail the powers of elected representatives and undermine the political process,” the petition states, arguing that the Act’s provision for nonparty-based elections limits political choice and weakens democracy. It adds
that this arrangement “violates freedom of association, disenfranchises citizens and fosters alienation.” The petitioners have sought suspension of the impugned sections during the pendency of the case, urging the court to declare them ultra vires to the Constitution. The Act was passed on October 13, days after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced that long-delayed local government elections in Punjab would be held under the PLGA 2022 in December.
Zardari vows Indian bid to weaponise Indus waters will not succeed DOHA
Staff RepoRt
President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday warned that India’s violation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and attempts to weaponise water would not succeed, describing them as an existential threat to Pakistan’s people and regional stability. Addressing the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, Qatar, Zardari said that Pakistan was simultaneously confronting the devastating consequences of climate change and an emerging challenge in the form of India’s unilateral actions over water. “On one hand, we face the brunt of climate change, which has caused immense suffering for our people through large-scale floods,” the president said. “On the other, we are being threatened from across the border with a new danger, the weaponisation of water. The violation of the Indus Waters Treaty poses a serious threat to 240 million Pakistanis. Such tactics cannot and will not succeed.” He said water was a shared human right and could never be used as a political
weapon. “Water belongs to all humanity,” he added, urging the international community to ensure that natural resources remained instruments of cooperation rather than conflict. In April, India had placed the IWT “in abeyance” following an attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 people — an incident New Delhi blamed on Pakistan without evidence. Islamabad termed the move an “act of war,” arguing that the 1960 treaty contains no clause permitting unilateral suspension or withdrawal. Pakistan has since said it is considering legal action, citing the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. The dispute returned to the spotlight in June when the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague ruled that India could not unilaterally hold the treaty in abeyance. The court reiterated that both countries remained bound by its provisions and that India must comply with treaty mechanisms for resolving disputes. India, however, dismissed the court’s jurisdiction and said it did not recognise the rulings. The court later reaffirmed its position in August while hearing Pakistan’s challenge to the design of Indian hydropower projects
on rivers allocated to Pakistan under the IWT. The tribunal concluded that the treaty “does not permit India to generate hydroelectric power on the Western Rivers” based on its own engineering preferences. Instead, India must “strictly adhere” to the specifications detailed in the treaty and “let flow” the waters for Pakistan’s unrestricted use. Signed in 1960 with the World Bank as guarantor, the IWT divided six rivers of the Indus Basin between the two neighbours — granting Pakistan control of the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum and Chenab) and India control of the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas and Sutlej). Despite decades of tension, the treaty had endured as a rare example of cooperation until recent years, when Indian hydropower projects began to raise concerns in Islamabad about long-term water security. President Zardari said India’s latest steps risked destabilising the region further at a time when both nations should be focusing on climate adaptation and sustainable growth. “Pakistan will continue to defend its water rights under international law,” he said, adding that Islamabad viewed any vio-
lation as a challenge to both peace and environmental justice. At the summit, the president also reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to inclusive development, social justice and global solidarity. He endorsed the Doha Political Declaration, saying its principles aligned with Pakistan’s development vision. “Pakistan remains steadfast in placing
people at the centre of its policies,” Zardari said. “Our goal is to eradicate poverty, ensure equality, and uphold human dignity.” Highlighting Pakistan’s progress, he cited the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) as one of the world’s leading social protection initiatives, empowering over nine million families through income assistance, healthcare and education.