Karachi: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that the party will support the amendment to Article 243 of the Constitution and the formation of constitutional courts.

Addressing the media after the meeting of the PPP Central Executive Committee (CEC), Bilawal said that the meeting agreed on three points of the proposed constitutional amendment.

He stated that the PPP’s previous manifesto and the Charter of Democracy both included the idea of a constitutional court. “We want to take forward the other pending issues of the Charter of Democracy as well,” he added.

Bilawal said that, in principle, the PPP supports the creation of a constitutional court. He explained that while the government has proposed that a parliamentary committee should handle the appointment and transfer of judges, the PPP suggests that the Judicial Commission should make such decisions in consultation with the chief justices of the concerned high courts.

Discussing the NFC Award, Bilawal said that under the Constitution, provincial funds may increase or decrease under the NFC, and that incomplete aspects of the Charter of Democracy should be discussed further during the 27th Amendment process.

He clarified that Article 243 would not affect the authority of the President or civilian supremacy. “If democracy or civilian control were threatened, the PPP would have opposed it,” he emphasized.

Bilawal also criticized certain bureaucrats and federal institutions, accusing them of using the NFC as a cover to hide their failures.

Regarding political alliances, Bilawal said, “Maulana Sahib is always welcome to come; this is his second home.”

Earlier, sources revealed that opinions were divided among PPP CEC members regarding the government’s proposal on the appointment and transfer of judges. Some members argued that these powers should remain solely with the Judicial Commission, warning that politicians might bear the consequences of a weakened judiciary.