PTI organises symbolic ‘People’s Assembly’ outside Parliament House

ISLAMABAD: In a move described by the party as a protest against a “compromised” parliamentary process, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday held a symbolic ‘People’s Assembly’ outside Parliament House, with several of its lawmakers boycotting the National Assembly session to attend the parallel event.

The session, presided over by former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, was attended by PTI MNAs Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Malik Amir Dogar, Atif Khan, and Ali Muhammad Khan, among others.

The assembly featured speeches critical of the government, recent legal amendments, the judiciary’s perceived curbs, media restrictions, human rights violations and political victimization.

Opening the session with a recitation from the Holy Quran, Qaiser accused the government of ignoring public welfare in its legislative priorities and claimed that corruption cases amounting to Rs1,200 billion had been shelved.

He also criticised the recently passed 26th Constitutional Amendment, alleging that it was aimed at weakening judicial independence.

The former speaker expressed solidarity with Supreme Court judge Justice Athar Minallah, who recently voiced concern over political interference in judicial matters.

He also condemned the recent bombing at a political rally in Balochistan, calling for accountability and improved security.

Speaking at the event, MNA Atif Khan claimed that parliament’s constitutional role had been “reduced to a formality,” and alleged that legislation was being used to serve vested interests rather than the public.

“When truth is silenced, justice cannot prevail,” he said, criticising what he termed restrictions on media and judicial freedom.

Malik Amir Dogar, PTI’s chief whip in the National Assembly, reiterated the party’s long-standing claim that the country was being governed under a “hybrid system,” which he described as lacking genuine representation.

He demanded the release of PTI’s founding chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, and other party leaders currently in detention.

Dogar also drew attention to the plight of flood victims in Multan, urging the authorities to provide urgent relief and assistance.

Ali Muhammad Khan, another senior party leader, alleged that PTI’s electoral mandate had been “marginalised.”

Referring to the party’s disputed seat count, he claimed, “A mandate representing 180 seats remains outside this House, while those with 17 seats are inside. What message does that send to the people.”

He called for the restoration of political space and judicial independence, warning against what he called the monopolisation of patriotism by any single institution.

Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, who leads the party’s parliamentary group, presented a resolution rejecting what he termed the ongoing “hybrid governance model.”

The resolution demanded judicial hearings on pending appeals related to the 26th Constitutional Amendment, an end to restrictions on the media and judiciary, and a review of the government’s decision to repatriate Afghan refugees in light of the security situation in Afghanistan.

The assembly also endorsed the September 8 shutter-down strike announced by Mehmood Khan Achakzai of the Pakhtunkhwa MilliAwami Party (PkMAP) and Akhtar Mengal in Balochistan, and expressed support for the views recently shared by Justice Minallah regarding judicial independence.

While the ‘People’s Assembly’ holds no legislative weight, it marks one of the PTI’s most prominent public moves in recent months aimed at challenging the legitimacy of the current parliamentary process and projecting its political narrative.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025