The opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) on Tuesday staged a march from Parliament House to Supreme Court as part of its nationwide protest movement against the newly enacted 27th Amendment.
The 27th Amendment was signed into law on November 13 after passage from the parliament amid strong criticism by the opposition parties. The legislation, which has brought major structural changes to the judiciary and the military, has been assailed by the legal fraternity, even former and sitting judges, as an “attack” on judicial independence.
In a meeting on Friday, the TTAP had vowed to vigorously protest to “restore the Constitution to its original form”.
Under a plan announced then, members of parties under the TTAP umbrella gathered outside Parliament House where they held a protest. They then staged a march to the Supreme Court on Constitution Avenue.
TTAP Vice Chairman Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and PTI Senator Faisal Javed were at the forefront of the march, visuals shared by the TTAP on social media platform X showed.
“Battle will persist till the judiciary’s independence,” they chanted. TTAP chair Mehmood Khan Achakzai could be seen participating in the march as well.
Images and videos shared by the TTAP on X showed protesters holding banners that read “Death to dictatorship, long live democracy”, “27th Amendment rejected”, and “Subjugation of the judiciary is the public’s subjugation”.
Achakzai, Abbas, Raja, ex-senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokar, and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser were among the key leaders present at the protest. Others included PTI MNA Zain Qureshi, Balochistan National Party-Mengal’s (BNP-M) Sajid Tareen, Akhunzada Hussain Yousafzai and PTI lawyer Khalid Yousuf Chaudhry.
The gathered protesters chanted, “Aise dastoor ko nahi maantey, subh-i-be-nur ko nahi maantey” (we do not accept this constitution, we do not accept this morning bereft of light) — echoing Habib Jalib’s poetry, also used by opposition lawmakers in recent parliamentary sessions.
The TTAP leaders also raised slogans in favour of PTI founder Imran Khan, with some holding party flags.
Yesterday, PTI MPAs held a walk from the Punjab Assembly to Charing Cross on The Mall to record their protest against the passage of the 27th Amendment.
Last week, the TTAP also said a resolution would be presented in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly against the 27th Amendment.
The TTAP, formed in April last year, is a coalition of six opposition parties, including the PTI. Earlier in July, it formalised its organisational structure, declaring blanket support for all anti-government protests.
