Mustafa Kamal made the statement during a press conference in Karachi, shortly after the controversial 27th Constitutional Amendment was passed amid objections raised by various political groups.
When the 27th Amendment was presented in the National Assembly on November 11, Kamal had pointed toward Article 140-A of the Constitution, which deals with local governments, and said that his party’s proposed changes “were still alive” and would now be taken up under the 28th Amendment.
Speaking to reporters, he explained that these amendments were originally intended to be part of the 26th Amendment, which Parliament approved during a late-night session in October last year.
Kamal expressed gratitude to several parties, including the PML-N, and to “friends in the PPP” as well as “many from the PTI” for strongly supporting the MQM-P’s stance on local government reforms.
He said that the proposed changes were thoroughly debated for more than six hours during the parliamentary standing committee meeting on the 27th Amendment. According to him, the MQM-P had enough support in the committee to get its version approved.
However, the PPP was unwilling to include the MQM-P’s local government proposals in the 27th Amendment, which led to a deadlock, he clarified, adding that he was not accusing anyone of wrongdoing.
Kamal said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the PML-N leadership then urged the MQM-P to delay its amendments once more because the 27th Amendment contained sensitive matters related to the military and the judiciary. He added that the party was assured its proposals would be added in the next constitutional amendment.
Accepting this request in what he described as the “larger national interest,” Kamal said the MQM-P agreed to wait.
Highlighting the importance of local government reforms, Kamal stated that a new constitutional amendment would be presented in Parliament in the coming months and that it would ensure people receive resources and services directly at the local level.
He also mentioned that the Punjab Assembly had recently passed a unanimous resolution calling for an amendment to Article 140-A to strengthen and protect local governments, ensure their autonomy, and guarantee timely elections. Kamal called this development a significant achievement for the MQM-P.
His comments came a day after the Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry said the government could introduce another constitutional amendment if required to preserve stability in the country.
