ISLAMABAD: In a fiery display of defiance, the opposition alliance Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aayin-e-Pakistan (TTAP) marked what it termed a “Black Day” on Friday, condemning the 27th constitutional amendment – now law – and the government’s alleged authoritarian grip on power.
The protest, led by TTAP Chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai and other prominent opposition leaders – including Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Salman Akram Raja and Asad Qaiser– was staged as a ‘march’ from Faisal Mosque to Faisal Avenue, following Friday prayers.
Chanting vociferous slogans against the government, the protesters rallied against the constitutional amendment, which they condemned as a direct assault on democratic processes, while also demanding the immediate release of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi and other ‘political’ detainees.
In a blistering speech, the TTAP chief escalated his rhetoric, pointing to a damning admission from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which recently pointed out rampant corruption in government funds.
“The IMF has spoken the truth – this is the government of thieves,” he declared, referring to the government’s handling of the country’s economy. “We called them thieves, and they accused us of slandering respected people. But now, even the IMF is confirming what we said.”
He accused the ruling coalition of “stealing” the public mandate that brought them to power, and condemned the unjust seizure of PTI’s reserved seats for women, asserting that not a single party in the ruling coalition could win a single seat in free and fair elections.
The government’s handling of the constitution drew Achakzai’s condemnation, as he called on the masses to take to the streets to defend it, accusing the ruling establishment and its powerful handlers of tampering with the very fabric of democracy.
“We must protect the 1973 Constitution,” he said. “Those who should be in jail are running the country, while those who have fought for the people’s rights and democracy are imprisoned.”
He said the allegations against Imran Khan did not justify the harsh restrictions imposed on his family, insisting it was their right to meet him and warning that if authorities continued to block access, they would “scale the jail walls to free him.”
However, Salman Akram Raja, PTI Secretary General, framed the rally as an urgent plea to the nation: “Our votes have been stolen, our homes violated, our children and families illegally detained. This protest is our call to action. It is time for the people to rise, peacefully but powerfully.”
The rally’s crescendo came with remarks from Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, who painted a grim picture of Pakistan’s descent into authoritarianism.
“Pakistan has become a hub of oppression,” he lamented, citing growing media restrictions under the PECA law, mounting pressure on the judiciary, and the ‘forced’ passage of the 26th and 27th constitutional amendments as clear signs of a country on the brink of democratic collapse.
“The 27th amendment is just the latest in a long line of legal manoeuvres aimed at consolidating power and undermining the democratic foundations of our nation,” he said, signalling that the struggle for a true democratic Pakistan was far from over.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025