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.
In a post on X, the TTAP said it held 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 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 it and the other leaders rejected the amendments and demanded that the Constitution be restored in 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.