TTAP doubles down on nationwide protest drive against 26th, 27th amendments

• Opposition alliance vows ‘vigorous democratic struggle’ to restore Constitution to original form
• Denounces amendments as ‘dark, dangerous’ assault on judiciary’s independence, hails resignations of Justices Shah, Minallah
• Decides to observe next Friday as nationwide ‘black day’ against the amendments

ISLAMABAD: The opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) on Friday vowed to mount a forceful, countrywide pushback “through all democratic means” to restore the Constitution to its original form, intensifying its campaign in the aftermath 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 once again urged the people to take a stand agai­nst what it termed an “extremely dark and dangerous” change in the Constitution.

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.

Those in attendance included Qaiser, PTI Chairman Barrister Ali Gohar, Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, BNP-M chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal, Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai and others such as Zain Ali Shah, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Ali Asghar Khan, Hussain Akhwandzada, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Shaukat Basra.

تحریک تحفظ آئین پاکستان ہنگامی اجلاس
اپوزیشن جماعتوں کا اہم ترین اجلاس شروع
اجلاس کی صدارت محمود خان اچکزئی کر رہے ہیں
پی ٹی آئی چیئرمین بیرسٹر گوہر علی خان اجلاس میں شریک
پی ٹی آئی سیکرٹری جنرل سلمان اکرم راجہ بھی اجلاس میں موجود
اجلاس سینٹر علامہ ناصر عباس کی رہائشگاہ پر جاری… pic.twitter.com/RTox8RpviQ

— Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (@TTAP_OFFICIAL) November 14, 2025

The controversy surrounding the amendments deepened further as political parties revisited the circumstances under which the 26th Amendment was passed during an overnight parliamentary session in October 2024. The PTI claimed that seven of its lawmakers were abducted to secure their vote as the party opposed the legislation. The Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) had similarly alleged that its two senators were pressured, with both later breaking party ranks to vote in favour of the tweaks.

Following the meeting, the participants gathered and chanted slogans against the post-amendment Constitution and dictatorship and in favour of PTI founder Imran Khan and democracy.

تحریک تحفظ آئین پاکستان کا ہنگامی اجلاس ختم،
تحریک تحفظ آئین پاکستان کی قیادت نے اجلاس کے اختتام پر اکھٹے ہوکر
“ایسے دستور کو صبح بے نور کو ہم نہیں جانتے ، ہم نہیں مانتے ” کے نعرے لگائے pic.twitter.com/0RfEUmP4lI

— Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (@TTAP_OFFICIAL) November 14, 2025

In a press release issued after the meeting, the alliance reiterated, “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.”

اعلامیہ اجلاس تحریک تحفظ آئین پاکستان مورخہ 14.11.2025

آج تحریک تحفظ آئین پاکستان کا غیر آئینی ستائیسویں ترمیم کے بعد ہنگامی سربراہی اجلاس زیر قیادت مشر محمود خان اچکزئی سربراہ تحریک تحفظ آئین پاکستان اسلام آباد میں منعقد ہوا۔ اجلاس میں اسد قیصر سیکرٹری جنرل تحریک تحفظ آئین… pic.twitter.com/9OwJlFJXTb

— Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (@TTAP_OFFICIAL) November 14, 2025

The TTAP argued that the amendments were against the basic structure of the Constitution and amounted to an attack on a fundamental pillar of democracy—the judiciary—by subordinating it to the executive. It maintained that the constitutional changes had “destroyed the basic structure of the Constitution” while introducing person-specific modifications.

“These controversial constitutional amendments have completely destroyed the judiciary and limited the authority and existence of the Supreme Court,” the alliance said. It also hailed the resignations of Supreme Court Justices Mansoor Ali Shah and Athar Minallah as an act of resistance to the “robbery of the Constitution” and paid tribute to judges who upheld their constitutional oath.

Outlining its protest strategy against the 27th Amendment, the TTAP announced that 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 amendment, while MPAs would march from the Punjab Assembly to the Lahore High Court the same day, with lawyers joining the demonstrations. The alliance also declared next Friday a nationwide ‘black day.’

The TTAP further said it supported the KP Peace Jirga declaration and demanded its implementation, along with the immediate release of Imran Khan, his wife and incarcerated PTI leaders and workers, as well as members of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee.

The PTI’s Parliamentary Committee had earlier suggested countrywide protests against the passage of the 27th Amendment, while former and sitting judges and lawyers have also voiced concerns, particularly over the amendment’s implications for the Supreme Court.

Contentious bill

The government’s plan to introduce the 27th Amendment took shape roughly a year after securing approval for the 26th Amendment. Even as the earlier amendment remained contested in court, speculation about further constitutional changes persisted in Islamabad’s power corridors.

The matter became public when Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari revealed on X on November 3 that the government had sought his party’s backing. The prime minister subsequently held consultations with coalition partners to secure support for the controversial amendment.