Copyright brecorder
ISLAMABAD: Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Aayin-e-Pakistan (TTAP), a coalition of six opposition parties, on Tuesday vowed to block the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment, warning that its passage would irreparably damage the country’s democratic institutions and create a “dangerous precedent” for the country’s future. Speaking at a press conference, TTAP leaders, including Asad Qaiser and Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, vehemently rejected the proposed amendment, calling it an “assault on democracy” that would centralise power in the executive and weaken both the judiciary and parliament, potentially plunging the country into a political crisis. “This is not just a constitutional amendment […] it is a dangerous move that could destabilise the political system and erode democratic norms,” Qaiser stated, calling the proposed changes a “Pandora’s box” that would undermine the constitutional framework. TTAP leaders allege that the PPP’s support is part of a broader strategy to consolidate power among a select few, pointing to recent comments by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari as evidence of a pre-planned political manoeuvre. “The PPP of today is far removed from the PPP that once championed democracy under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto,” Qaiser said, accusing the party of prioritising political expediency over democratic principles. “Today, the PPP is complicit in dismantling the very democracy they once helped build.” The opposition also targeted the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif, once a staunch advocate of “respect for the vote,” who has remained conspicuously silent in the face of the proposed amendments. “Where is the commitment to ‘respect the vote’? Qaiser demanded. “What happened to the promise of democracy?” Qaiser indicated that the opposition was prepared to take the fight to the streets if necessary, citing a planned meeting with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders to discuss their shared concerns. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
