Political parties and key decision-making circles in Pakistan are increasingly discussing changes to parts of the country’s 18th Constitutional Amendment, according to comments made by Kamran Khan during an episode of his show On My Radar.
Kamran Khan said a growing perception in political and public discussions suggests that weaknesses in the 18th Amendment may now be addressed through a proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment.
The 18th Amendment, passed in 2010, devolved significant powers from the federal government to Pakistan’s provinces. However, debate has intensified in recent months over governance, financial distribution and the role of local governments.
Kamran Khan said both civilian and military leaderships appear supportive, at least publicly, of transferring powers to lower administrative levels.
He noted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir have repeatedly spoken about creating new administrative provinces and strengthening local governments.
According to Kamran Khan, Pakistan’s 26th and 27th constitutional amendments strengthened civil, military and judicial structures last year, but failed to resolve issues affecting ordinary citizens, including governance, municipal systems and equitable resource distribution.
He said the federal government continues to face financial pressure, while provinces are increasingly criticized for receiving resources without fully transferring powers and funds to local governments.
Kamran Khan said public attention is now focused on the proposed 28th amendment, which could include revisions to the National Finance Commission, or NFC, Award and broader resource-sharing mechanisms.
Other proposals under discussion include constitutional protection for local governments and reforms related to education, health care and the Benazir Income Support Programme.
The proposed amendment’s most significant feature, Kamran Khan said, may be changing the NFC Award formula used to distribute national revenues among provinces.
Prime Minister’s political adviser Rana Sanaullah said that if political consensus is reached, a finalized NFC Award could be announced before the federal budget.
Kamran Khan also said past demands by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, including clearer interpretation of Article 140-A and guaranteed constitutional funding for local governments, are again part of the debate.
He said that if reforms move in that direction, the 28th amendment could become Pakistan’s first comprehensive constitutional effort to fully devolve power to lower levels of government.
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