PTI terms 27th Amendment attack on provincial autonomy

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentary party on Wednesday decided to stage strong protests inside and outside the parliament against the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment, declaring that the present legislature lacks moral justification to undertake such legislation.

“The 27th Constitutional Amendment is an attack on provincial autonomy and violates democratic principles. It will be rejected at all levels,” said a statement issued after the meeting chaired by PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan.

The meeting was attended by senior party leaders, members of the National Assembly and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Khan Afridi. The participants discussed in detail the prevailing political situation, parliamentary affairs and the implications of the proposed constitutional changes.

The members reaffirmed that PTI is the true guardian of the Constitution, democracy and rights of the country’s federating units and would resist any unconstitutional move.

The meeting also demanded the immediate appointment of opposition leaders to both the National Assembly and Senate to restore democratic balance in parliament.

In addition, the parliamentary party unanimously passed a resolution calling for the reinstatement of Ahmed Chattha, President Central Punjab, and Bilal Ijaz, General Secretary, in accordance with the directives of the party’s founding chairman Imran Khan.

Another resolution demanded that the federal and Punjab governments immediately facilitate a meeting between Imran Khan and CM Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sohail Afridi.

The forum resolved that the issue of appointing the opposition leader in the Senate be pursued on a priority basis.

Reiterating its stance, the PTI leadership said, “All democratic forces must unite against unconstitutional amendments. The 1973 Constitution is a unanimous national covenant and no one should attempt to alter it. The incumbent parliament, being a product of Form-47, lacks moral authority to introduce any constitutional amendment.”

Separately, PTI Information Secretary Waqas Akram Wednesday warned the government against “turning Pakistan into a virtual banana republic and totalitarian state” through the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment.

He termed the planned legislation a mala fide, self-serving and agenda-driven move aimed at weakening the federating units by rolling back the 18th Amendment, creating “kangaroo courts”, and reviving colonial-era laws to tighten control over provincial resources.

Reacting to the government’s confirmation that the draft amendment would soon be tabled in parliament, Akram reaffirmed PTI’s firm resolve to oppose and block what he called a “controversial and anti-democratic amendment”.