The joint opposition will launch a public movement against the 27th Constitutional Amendment from Friday, Tehreek-e-Tahafuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) head Mahmood Khan Achakzai announced after the tweaks sailed through the National Assembly with a two-thirds majority on Wednesday.
After the Senate, the National Assembly passed the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill today amid an opposition walkout, which brought changes to the judicial structure and military command.
Achakzai, along with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, held a press conference in the Parliament House where they strongly criticised the newly-approved constitutional amendment.
The TTAP head said that they are ready to hold talks with the incumbent government; however, it would be organised to discuss returning the stolen mandate.
Gohar said that the amendments were brought to the parliament in haste and blamed the coalition government, ruled by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with its key ally — Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), for making “decisions in personal interests”.
He censured that the federal government added clauses A and B to Article 260, making the post of the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) a “musical chair” after the formation of the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC).
The PTI chairman claimed that the said tweaks mentioned that the current CJP’s post will be retained by the current top jurist, who is Justice Yahya Afridi of the Supreme Court, till completion of his tenure.
He went on to say that according to the amendment, CJP Afridi will serve as the country’s top jurist till 2027, and after his tenure, the FCC’s top judge would become the chief justice of the country.
Gohar vowed that if his party returns to power, it would reverse these amendments.
This is a developing story and is being updated with more details.
