- Asad Qaiser slams PPP for ‘siding with rollback forces,’ saying Bilawal’s tweet triggers alarm over constitutional changes
- Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar decries ‘system of oppression,’ saying fears rise over judicial, electoral, and provincial autonomy
- TTAP accuses govt of undermining independence of key institutions, vowing to resist amendment inside and outside Parliament
ISLAMABAD: Leaders of the Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) on Tuesday warned that the government’s move towards introducing a 27th Constitutional Amendment could gravely endanger Pakistan’s democratic framework, provincial autonomy, and institutional independence, vowing to resist the proposal both inside and outside Parliament.
Addressing an emergency press conference in Islamabad, former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser termed the reported amendment “the opening of a Pandora’s box,” saying it carried the potential to “bury democracy” in Pakistan. He said a tweet by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, which TTAP interpreted as signalling the party’s readiness to support the amendment, was deeply worrying and amounted to complicity in efforts to undermine democratic norms.
“The PPP, which once stood with Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto for people’s rights, now appears willing to side with those who want to dismantle the very system they built,” Qaiser said. He questioned the moral authority of political leaders who once campaigned for “respect for the vote” but were now silent on constitutional manipulation.
The TTAP leader said his party had forwarded its recommendations to Imran Khan and would soon issue a formal statement if talks with him materialized. “We will take this matter to the people and stage strong protests within Parliament to defend the Constitution,” Qaiser vowed.
Senior TTAP leader Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar said the proposed amendment was part of a “larger system of oppression” designed to erode constitutional guarantees, restrict political freedoms, and reshape key institutions for political gain.
He voiced particular concern over reported provisions affecting the judiciary, saying proposed mechanisms for the transfer and posting of judges would effectively treat them like bureaucrats and threaten judicial independence. “If judges fear transfer or retaliation, who will deliver independent verdicts?” he asked.
Khokhar also cautioned against alleged plans to tinker with Article 243, governing the appointment of the military chief, warning that any such alteration could “fundamentally distort Pakistan’s civil-military balance.” He said similar dangers existed in proposals related to the Election Commission’s appointment process and the weakening of provincial tribunals, calling the existing commission “a joke” that risked further politicisation.
He said TTAP would mobilise media, civil society, and democratic groups to block what it termed an “illegitimate parliament” from bulldozing the amendment, adding that a comprehensive action plan would be finalised after consultation with Imran Khan, possibly within the next 24 hours.
