No rush on passing 27th amendment, says Barrister Aqeel Malik

There was no rush in moving forward with the proposed 27th Constitutional amendment, according to Minister of State for Law Barrister Aqeel Malik on Thursday. He emphasized that all topics will be thoroughly considered because the issue has been continuing “on and off” for a while.

Barrister Aqeel emphasized on a private television program that it was inaccurate to imply that the 26th Amendment was hurried because someone was about to retire.

He asserted that the 27th Amendment addresses matters of national interest rather than the gain or loss of any political party and that the Constitution is not an infallible, heavenly text.

He urged the opposition to voice their opinions in the Standing Committee and on the floor of Parliament, criticizing them for using political point-scoring without reading or debating the plan.

Noting that 57% of NFC Award payments go to the provinces, Barrister Aqeel continued, “It is imperative that we continue to improve the law over time.”

He emphasized that provincial spending must also be held accountable, pointing out that the federal government is responsible for social protection, defense spending, pensions, and debt repayment.

The minister added that measures should be implemented to lessen the financial burden on the federal government and recommended that provinces make their fair share of contributions to help balance national spending.