The 27th Constitutional Amendment has entered a decisive phase, as the government has secured a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly.
Political activity has intensified in parliament ahead of the amendment’s approval, while the situation in the Senate has become increasingly interesting. Following the recent by-elections, the upper house now has its full strength of 96 members.
In the Senate, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) holds the largest number of seats with 26 senators, followed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) with 22 members and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 21 senators.
PTI senator Murad Saeed has yet to take his oath, while the oath of the senator elected on Shibli Faraz’s seat is also pending. The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has 7 senators, the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) has 4, and the Awami National Party (ANP) holds 3 seats.
Additionally, the National Party, Pakistan Muslim League, and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) each have one senator, while six independent senators are also part of the house. These independents could play a decisive role in the fate of the constitutional amendment.
To pass the 27th Constitutional Amendment in the Senate, the government needs a two-thirds majority, requiring 64 votes.
Sources said that if the PPP supports the government’s amendment, the ANP is also expected to vote in favor in line with its party decision. The votes of Kamil Ali Agha and the ANP senators will be crucial, while the Pakistan Muslim League is already part of the ruling coalition.
If the JUI-F also extends its support, the government could secure more than a two-thirds majority in the Senate.
In the National Assembly, the government already enjoys a clear majority needed to pass the amendment. A total of 224 votes are required for approval, while the government currently has the backing of 237 members from its allied parties.
The PML-N has 125 members, the PPP has 74, the MQM holds 22, the Pakistan Muslim League has 5, the IPP has 4, and one member each belongs to the Muslim League-Zia, National Party, and BAP. Additionally, four independent members are part of the ruling alliance.
On the opposition benches, there are 89 members, including 76 independents, 10 from JUI-F, and others from smaller parties such as the BNP, MWM, and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party.
