Movement to Begin from November 9, Says Achakzai
The multi-party opposition alliance Tehreek-e-Tahafuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) has announced a nationwide protest movement against the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment, just hours after the government presented it in the Senate.
Leaders of the alliance claim that the amendment threatens Pakistan’s democratic foundations and grants excessive powers to already influential institutions. Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas said in a statement, “Democratic institutions have been paralysed. The nation must rise against the proposed 27th Amendment.”
He added that the government was attempting to give “even more authority” to powerful circles through the amendment, undermining parliamentary democracy.
Political Leaders Unite for ‘Protection of the Constitution’
The TTAP alliance includes major opposition forces such as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), and the MWM.
PkMAP Chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai announced that the movement would formally begin on Sunday night, November 9. “From tomorrow night, our slogan will be ‘Long live democracy, down with dictatorship.’ Our third slogan will demand the release of political prisoners,” he declared.
Achakzai emphasized that the alliance’s protests would demonstrate that “the will of the people of Pakistan will be the final decision.” He reiterated that the Constitution remains the foundation of both the state and citizens’ rights, vowing that TTAP would protect its supremacy.
The PkMAP leader said that opposition parties were left with no option but to take to the streets after the government tabled the controversial amendment, which he claimed was “shaking the foundations of the Constitution.”
Details of the Proposed 27th Amendment
The government presented the 27th Constitutional Amendment in the Senate earlier this week, seeking major structural changes in Pakistan’s military and judicial systems.
Introduced by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with backing from its coalition partners, the amendment was referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice for review.
The proposed changes include amending Article 243 to abolish the position of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) and replace it with a new title, Chief of Defence Forces. Additionally, the amendment calls for the creation of a Federal Constitutional Court and changes to the appointment process of high court judges.
Another significant provision seeks to transfer certain powers from the Supreme Court to the new Constitutional Court, while granting lifelong criminal immunity to the president.
The opposition has denounced these proposals as attempts to centralize power and weaken constitutional checks and balances. With the protest campaign set to launch nationwide, Pakistan’s political landscape appears headed for intensified confrontation over the controversial amendment.
