Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Thursday that rumours spread by certain quarters about the abolition of the 18th Constitutional Amendment had been answered by a consensual, democratic solution reached by the government and all political forces that safeguarded both national security imperatives and provincial rights.

“This is not merely a financial or administrative achievement — it is a victory for politics,” he said while addressing the National Assembly during debate on the federal budget 2026-27, adding that when the national interest was at stake, all federating units came together to decide collectively.

“The strength of nations lies in their unity,” he said.

Expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his team, Bilawal said it had been agreed that provinces would contribute funds for national defence, while their shares under the National Finance Commission would be protected.

He added that the Centre would not request any further assistance from the provinces beyond the three-year financial arrangement.

“We have agreed with the government to contribute our share for the country’s defence,” he said.

Bilawal said the 18th Amendment had devolved greater responsibilities to the provinces, and the NFC had been designed to provide corresponding funds; however, provinces had never received their full share to date and had always made sacrifices for the federation.

He said a petroleum levy imposed during the floods to arrange relief funds for affectees had never been shared with the provinces, amounting to a violation of both the 18th Amendment and the NFC award, and was still being collected.

“Provinces have always rendered sacrifices for the federation,” he said, adding that the political consensus now reached would ensure those sacrifices were no longer taken for granted. “We will resolve all the country’s problems by standing united.”

Iran-US peace deal

Against the backdrop of Iran and the United States signing a preliminary peace deal through Pakistan’s mediation, Bilawal congratulated President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Defence Force and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and the armed forces on their efforts to promote peace in the region.

He said the recent agreement was proof that dialogue and negotiation must always take precedence over war, and that when the region was at peace, investment flowed, economies strengthened and nations prospered.

He warned, however, that the region was not yet fully at peace and that elements seeking to destabilise it remained active.

Referencing threats such as a potential “Operation Sindoor 2”, he said Pakistan’s challenges could only be met through national unity.

He also flagged an alleged India-Israel nexus, saying the nation was fully aware of conspiracies being hatched against Pakistan and would respond firmly to any aggression or attempt to curtail its water rights.

BISP

Defending the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) against criticism, Bilawal said it was regrettable that a scheme internationally recognised as a model of social protection was being targeted.

He said the government had decided to increase BISP’s budget because the programme had transformed the lives of millions of families and served not only as a welfare initiative but as a pillar of national security and social cohesion.

Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK

On Gilgit-Baltistan, Bilawal thanked the region’s voters for giving PPP a decisive mandate and called for serious progress on their constitutional rights. He demanded that GB representatives be given interim representation in the National Assembly so they could raise their issues directly on the floor of the house.

Regarding Azad Kashmir, he said political disagreement and protest were democratic rights, but taking the law into one’s hands could not be permitted. He urged protesters to pursue parliamentary and political channels and distance themselves from elements promoting extremism or violence.

He reaffirmed his support for the voting and representation rights of refugees, saying it was a matter on which no compromise was possible.

Bilawal stressed the need to upgrade the country’s dams and water infrastructure to meet future challenges, and said national unity, democratic consensus and a policy of peace remained Pakistan’s most effective answer to the internal and external threats it faced.