Roedad Khan Club Calls for Constitutional Rule

The Roedad Khan Club, a group of retired civil servants, diplomats and military generals, has called for equal treatment of all provinces and warned against any constitutional amendment imposed against the wishes of the people. The group said the country’s unity and future were at risk amid a deepening political and economic crisis.

The statement was shared with Dawn on Saturday by the Roedad Khan Club, a group often described as Islamabad’s retired establishment because it comprises retired but influential officials. The club said constitutional rule must be restored in practice rather than maintained as a facade.

The statement was signed by former air chief retired Air Chief Marshal Abbas Khattak, former bureaucrat Shakil Durrani and former diplomats Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, Humayun Qazi and Asif Durrani.

What the statement says

“Constitutional rule needs to be restored as a reality, and not as a facade. The military needs to return to its sacred mission of protecting the country, its oath of allegiance, and [Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s] clear instructions,” the statement said.

The club also rejected what it described as hybrid governance, arguing that a system “in which elected civilian institutions operate alongside an unelected centre of power deepens political resentment and undermines constitutional rule”.

It called for a return to the electoral mandate, saying this could provide a basis for national reconciliation and political stability.

“What is required, instead, is a restitution of the people’s verdict in the last general elections. Alternatively, a fresh election with all the national and regional parties and their chosen leaders participating needs to be a first step on a journey of national reconciliation, revival, transformation and prosperity,” it added.

Why the Roedad Khan Club statement matters

The statement comes amid renewed debate over restructuring the provincial system following proposals by senior government figures for the creation of new provinces. Those proposals have drawn opposition from political quarters concerned that changes to the provincial map could undermine provincial autonomy and alter the existing balance of power.

The intervention also lands while the dispute over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s government remains unresolved. The province’s governor, Faisal Karim Kundi, has set out a firm line of his own in recent weeks, ruling out talks with elements that reject the Constitution, as reported in Feature Pakistan’s account of the governor’s position.

The Roedad Khan Club statement speaks to a wider question than one province. It argues that the rules of the system, rather than any single appointment or decision, need to be settled first. That is why its language focuses on constitutional rule in practice, not on personalities.

The two paths it proposes

The statement offers two routes, not one. The first is restitution of the verdict in the last general elections. The second, offered as an alternative, is a fresh election in which all national and regional parties and their chosen leaders take part.

Both routes point in the same direction: a mandate that the club argues would carry enough weight to support reconciliation. The statement does not set a date for any fresh election, nor does it name a mechanism for restitution. Those gaps will matter in how political parties respond, since each route carries different legal and political hurdles.

The call for equal treatment of provinces runs through both routes. The club links provincial fairness to national unity, arguing that a settlement imposed on unwilling provinces would weaken, not strengthen, the federation.

What happens next

Electoral institutions continue their own work in parallel. The Election Commission of Pakistan has already notified the delimitation schedule for the Quetta and Kharian cantonment boards, a reminder that ward boundaries and voter lists are being prepared even as the larger constitutional debate goes on.

The statement carries no legal force. Its weight will depend on whether serving politicians, parties or institutions pick up its arguments. No government response had been reported in the Dawn account.

Frequently asked questions

Who issued the statement?

The Roedad Khan Club, a group of retired civil servants, diplomats and military generals often described as Islamabad’s retired establishment.

Who signed it?

Former air chief retired Air Chief Marshal Abbas Khattak, former bureaucrat Shakil Durrani and former diplomats Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, Humayun Qazi and Asif Durrani.

What does the club want?

It wants constitutional rule restored in practice, equal treatment for all provinces, no constitutional amendment imposed against the people’s wishes, and either restitution of the last general election verdict or a fresh election with all parties and leaders participating.

Does the statement have legal force?

No. It is a statement by retired officials, not a government order or a court ruling, and no official response had been reported in the Dawn account.