- PTI’s Barrister Gohar calls amendment a direct attack on judiciary, saying CJP’s office abolished
- Achakzai announces nationwide protest campaign from Friday, appeals to judiciary for intervention
- Protests to combine domestic demonstrations with diplomatic outreach to foreign envoys
- Opposition criticizes government over worsening economic crisis, cites UN report
ISLAMABAD: The opposition alliance on Wednesday announced a nationwide political movement beginning Friday against the recently passed 27th Constitutional Amendment, vowing to restore “what they say are curtailed powers of the judiciary and the office of the Chief Justice.”
Addressing the media after the National Assembly approved the amendment, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan accused the government of undermining judicial independence. “The office of the chief justice has been abolished—we will restore it,” he declared. “We will restore the dignity and powers of the judiciary.” Barrister Gohar argued that while judicial reforms may be necessary, the government’s current approach toward the judges is “unacceptable.”
He said his party had raised objections during parliamentary proceedings, warning that the amendment violates the spirit of the Constitution. “This is a direct attack on the independence of the judiciary,” he added, stressing that the opposition would not allow the erosion of judicial authority.
Flanked by Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Barrister Gohar announced that the protest campaign would commence from Friday. Achakzai emphasized that the movement would remain peaceful, aiming to restore the “people’s mandate, which has been stolen.” He added that the campaign would combine domestic demonstrations with diplomatic outreach, pledging, “We will protest and we will not even throw a stone. We will also write to foreign envoys, urging them to reconsider or rescind any agreements made with the current government.”
Achakzai highlighted Pakistan’s worsening economic situation, citing a United Nations report that 45 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. He criticized the timing of parliamentary proceedings, questioning, “Would the sky fall if they postponed the session today?”
He further alleged interference by “powerful external actors” attempting to destabilize Pakistan and push it toward conflict. “The world’s dangerous countries want to make us fight. We must stop the path to war,” he said, underscoring that the Constitution must remain supreme.
On provincial autonomy, Achakzai insisted that provinces should retain first rights over natural resources. He called for dialogue with the government but stressed that negotiations would center on restoring the opposition’s mandate.
Turning to the judiciary, he appealed to judges to resolve the crisis “with a single stroke of a pen” and warned that pressure would increase if demands were ignored. Concluding, Achakzai reaffirmed the alliance’s commitment to peaceful protests, domestic mobilization, and international advocacy. “We are ready for talks, but our stance is clear—the Constitution must prevail, and the people’s mandate must be respected,” he said.
