Rana Sanaullah says proposal to increase voting age under consideration

• Consensus mandatory for any amendment progress: Rana.
• Adviser says possible 28th Amendment include multiple issues.
• "Consultations on such matters have been ongoing.”

ISLAMABAD: As speculation regarding the 28th Constitutional Amendment picked up pace, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, said that a proposal to increase the voting age is currently under consideration.

“A person cannot contest an election until the age of 25 then […] if that is the case, the age for contesting elections should also be reduced to 18,” he said while speaking on Geo News' programme 'Jirga'. 

Under the prevailing election laws, a Pakistani citizen can be enrolled as a voter if they are at least 18 years of age on January 1 of the year in which electoral rolls are prepared or revised.

It is also required that the person is, or is deemed to be, a resident of the relevant electoral area in order to be registered as a voter there.

During the programme, the PML-N senator said discussions related to the possible 28th Constitutional Amendment include multiple governance and policy issues, including National Finance Commission (NFC) resource distribution, population control measures, and the construction of new water reservoirs.

He stressed that the government would not move forward on the 28th Amendment without agreement among all stakeholders.

Sanaullah further said it is not necessary to change the NFC formula, suggesting that defence expenditures could be treated separately from the existing resource-sharing mechanism.

He added that consultations on such matters have been ongoing and would continue as part of broader constitutional and policy discussions.

The remarks came amid growing political debate over reports of discussions surrounding a possible constitutional amendment ahead of Eid ul Adha, which is expected to take place on May 27, with concerns also shown that it might undo the 18th Amendment.

The 18th Amendment, passed during the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led government in 2010, has triggered many debates in the past, with calls to make changes to it. However, PPP has strongly objected to such proposals and has vowed resistance against any tweaks to the amendment.

The amendment devolved powers to provinces on issues such as health, women's development, social welfare, and local government.

However, the federal ministers have rejected such an impression, with Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar saying that any constitutional amendment process will only proceed with consensus, adding there were currently no signs of a 28th Amendment.

His clarification aligns with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari's denial of any immediate talks on a proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment.

"No talks have taken place yet on the 28th Amendment; [but] I do not know about tomorrow," he said while addressing the PPP's parliamentary party meeting on Thursday.