Islamabad: An alliance of opposition parties on Friday announced a series of nationwide protests against the recent controversial constitutional amendments, declaring it would use all “democratic means” to press for restoring the Constitution to its original form.
President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday signed into law the 27th Constitutional Amendment, which provides for the creation of a new position of the Chief of Defence Forces and a constitutional court.
The Tehreek-e-Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), which includes jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party, said in a statement after a meeting that it would “vigorously protest” the changes.
“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,” the alliance said.
The alliance said its lawmakers would march from the National Assembly to the Supreme Court on Monday. A resolution opposing the 27th amendment would also be tabled in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly the same day.
In Punjab, provincial lawmakers are scheduled to march from the Punjab Assembly to the Lahore High Court on Monday, with lawyers joining the protest.
The amended legislation mandates the establishment of the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) to deal with matters related to
the Constitution.