PTI announces to launch new protest movement against 26th amendment

After failing to block the passage of the 26th constitutional amendment in both houses of parliament, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday unveiled a plan to launch a nationwide protest movement.

The announcement was made by the general secretary of the party founded by Imran Khan, Salman Akram Raja, during a press conference in Lahore, who called the 26th amendment “an attack on the Constitution of Pakistan and the judiciary”.

He said his party would strongly resist the constitutional changes and added that a plan was drawn up to organize a sit-in and demonstration across the country.

The major announcement of a protest movement came after a series of demonstrations and shows of strength led by the main opposition party organized to increase pressure on the incumbent government to back away from justice-focused constitutional changes.

Earlier this month, the embattled opposition party announced a protest at the D-Chowk protest for October 15, however, its political committee postponed it due to the two-day SCO summit in Islamabad.

Raja also criticized the incumbent government for the alleged ill-treatment of party founder Imran Khan, who was imprisoned in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail for more than a year.

He alleged, “PTI founder is being given inhumane treatment”, a charge denied by the Adiala jail authorities.

To a question about the role of Khan’s wife after her release from prison, Raja clarified that Bushra Bibi has no intention of playing any role in the country’s politics.

Responding to a question related to Sher Afzal Marwat’s recent statements where he threw shade at the PTI leadership over ineffective protest movement and particularly criticized Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.

At this, the PTI general secretary hinted at disciplinary action against Marwat. “We are giving Sher Afzal Marwat a chance. If he fails to maintain party discipline, then we will take action against him,” he said.

Reacting to Raja’s statement, Marwat expressed regret over the PTI general secretary’s remarks, saying he was “always ready to work with him”.

The PTI leader further said, “You (Salman Akram Raja) are neither my boss nor have any authority to control me. PTI founder and lawyer (party president) Gohar Ali Khan are my bosses and answerable to them. The other person is not of value to me.”

It is noteworthy to mention here that Marwat had described his party’s protest as ‘not up to the mark’ while he had met the jailed PTI founder a day ago. He also claimed that Khan had ordered a new protest committee to be formed and he (Marwat) would be a part of it.