ISLAMABAD: The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday voiced strong opposition to the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment, accusing the ruling coalition of eroding judicial independence and centralising power within the executive.
Talking to reporters, PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram condemned the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill, describing it as a continuation of what he termed an ongoing campaign to undermine the judiciary, following the contentious 26th Amendment.
“The 26th Amendment amounted to a judicial massacre and now they want to finish the job,” he added. “They want a judiciary that offers no resistance. PTI will oppose this tooth and nail.”
He argued that the earlier amendment curtailed the powers of the Supreme Court and reduced the high courts to mere “rubber stamps”, warning that the new proposal would entrench this trend further.
Akram called on Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Yahya Afridi, to take a firmer stand, warning that public trust in the judiciary was steadily eroding.
“We are witnessing a slow, calculated dismantling of every safeguard within our democratic and legal frameworks,” he said.
Raising concerns over former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s wellbeing in custody, Akram demanded immediate access for Khan’s personal physicians, as well as a medical team from the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, which Khan founded.
“If anything happens to Imran Khan, the state will bear full responsibility,” he said, holding the Maryam Nawaz-led Punjab provincial government accountable for his treatment while detained.
He further accused both the federal and Punjab governments of authoritarian overreach, citing custodial deaths, extrajudicial killings, and what he described as the “unchecked power” of law enforcement agencies.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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