KARACHI — Federal Minister for Health Mustafa Kamal has claimed that another constitutional amendment is expected in the coming months, which will include changes related to local governments — a long-standing demand of MQM-Pakistan.
Speaking at a press conference in Karachi after the passage of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, Kamal referred to Article 140-A of the Constitution, which defines the role, powers, and structure of local governments.
He said the amendments proposed by MQM-Pakistan have not been dropped; instead, they will now be taken up as part of the 28th Constitutional Amendment.
The minister explained that these changes were initially proposed for inclusion in the 26th Constitutional Amendment, which was passed after a lengthy late-night session of Parliament in October last year.
Kamal added that the proposed amendments were also discussed in meetings of the Parliamentary Committee on Law and Justice, but the government at the time expressed its inability to secure the required support.
He said the MQM-Pakistan leadership was therefore requested to delay the matter until the next constitutional amendment.
“Consequently, our bill remained pending in the Law and Justice Committee for a year, and then the time came for the 27th Amendment,” he said.
Mustafa Kamal also remarked that MQM-Pakistan could have bargained for additional ministries, development funds, or special administrative powers once the government announced its intent to push forward with constitutional changes. However, he said the party chose not to pursue such demands.
