PPP chairman says party thwarted push to strip provinces of NFC protection Those playing with NFC award or 18th amend playing with fire PPP won’t support any action that weakens federation.
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari yesterday reaffirmed his party’s commitment to defending public rights, strengthening the federation, and safeguarding national security as the PPP marked its 58th founding day.
Addressing a digital public gathering of the party, held simultaneously in over 100 cities, Bilawal vowed not to support any government action that would “weaken the federation” or “encroach upon provincial rights.”
“As a nation, Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan are like brothers,” he said. “Together, we can confront (Indian Prime Minister Narendra) Modi.”
First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari joined him on stage during the address, while PPP Sindh General Secretary Senator Waqar Mehdi served as host of the digital event.
The PPP chairman warned that anyone who attempts to revoke the constitutional guarantees related to provinces’ rights as provided under the 18th Amendment was akin to “playing with fire”.
He revealed that when the government approached the PPP regarding the 27th Amendment, it had initially included several controversial proposals—including abolishing the constitutional guarantees of provincial shares in the NFC Award, restoring the magistracy system at the district level, reclaiming provincial authority over curriculum development, and shifting population control responsibilities back to the centre.
The PPP, he said, successfully blocked attempts to revoke the NFC protections. “Had this amendment been passed, Punjab would have suffered the most, followed by Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” Bilawal warned.
He cautioned that the government may attempt to bring similar proposals again and said the PPP would strongly oppose any move that weakens the federation. “Playing with the NFC Award or the 18th Amendment is like playing with fire,” he said.
Bilawal reminded the government that India’s defence minister had been issuing aggressive statements targeting Sindh, while tensions on the Afghan border were rising. He said the PPP has always been ready to make any sacrifice for national defence.
Bilawal said the historic turnout across the country demonstrated the deep connection between the PPP and the people. “Today we have made history,” he declared, adding that from Muzaffarabad and Skardu to the plains of Punjab, the mountains of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the deserts of Balochistan and the towns of Sindh, party workers were united in celebrating the founding day.
