DNA
ISLAMABAD: The opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) on Friday vowed to vigorously protest through all democratic means to restore the Constitution to its original form in the wake of the passage of the contentious 26th and 27th amendments.
President Asif Ali Zardari gave his assent to the contentious 27th Constitutional Amendment on Thursday, enacting it into law. The TTAP had already announced a nationwide protest movement against the amendment since Sunday and urged the people to take a stand against the “extremely dark and dangerous” change in the Constitution.
While the 26th Amendment was passed by Parliament during an overnight session in October 2024, with the PTI claiming seven of its lawmakers were abducted to gain their vote as the party opposed the legislation. The Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) had also alleged its two senators were being pressured, with both later defying party line to vote in the tweaks’ favour.
In a post on X today, the TTAP said it was holding an emergency meeting at the residence of Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) Chairman Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas.
In attendance were Qaiser, PTI Chairman Barrister Ali Gohar and Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal, Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai and others, including Zain Ali Shah, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Ali Asghar Khan, Hussain Akhwandzada, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Shaukat Basra.
The members of the meeting later gathered and chanted slogans against the post-amendment Constitution and dictatorship and in favour of PTI founder Imran Khan and democracy.
In a press release issued after the meeting, the alliance said: “TTAP reiterates its resistance and struggle against these unconstitutional amendments and will vigorously protest through all democratic means to restore the Constitution in its original form and demands that the Constitution be restored in its original form.”
It said the amendments were against the basic structure of the Constitution and an attack on a fundamental pillar of democracy — the judiciary — that had subordinated the judiciary to the executive and “destroyed the basic structure of the Constitution” while introducing person-specific changes.
The TTAP said its leaders rejected the amendments and demanded that the Constitution be restored to its original form.
“These controversial constitutional amendments have completely destroyed the judiciary and limited the authority and existence of the Supreme Court,” the TTAP said.
It also hailed the resignations of Supreme Court Justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Athar Minallah as resistance to the “robbery of the Constitution” and paid tribute to judges who upheld their constitutional oath.
Outlining the moves against the 27th amendment, the TTAP said MNAs and senators would march from the National Assembly to the Supreme Court on Monday, a resolution would be presented in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly against the 27th amendment and MPAs would march from the Punjab Assembly to the Lahore High Court on Monday with lawyers participating as well.
The TTAP further announced observing next Friday as a ‘black day’ across the country.
In other announcements, the TTAP said it fully supported the declaration of the KP Peace Jirga and demanded its implementation; demanded the immediate release of Imran, his wife and incarcerated PTI leaders and workers, as well as the leadership and members of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee.
The PTI’s Parliamentary Committee previously suggested holding countrywide protests against the passage of the 27th Constitutional Amendment.
Former and sitting judges, as well as lawyers, also voiced opposition to the amendment, particularly citing its implications for the Supreme Court.
Contentious bill
The government’s plan to make a 27th Amendment to the Constitution took shape roughly a year after it managed to get the 26th Constitutional Amendment approved.
In the following months, even though the 26th Amendment remained mired in controversy and continued to face challenges in the court, the power corridors in Islamabad remained abuzz with talk of a possible 27th Constitutional Amendment.
The speculation about whether the government intended to further tweak the Constitution was put to rest when Bilawal announced on social media platform X on November 3 that the government had sought his party’s support for the amendment.
Subsequently, the prime minister also held consultations with other ruling allies to secure support for the controversial amendment.
