PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has announced that he will lead Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) nationwide protests against recent constitutional amendments aimed at judicial reforms.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, he condemned the changes as an attack on the independence of the judiciary.
“The PTI rejects these constitutional tweaks,” Gandapur asserted, calling them “illegitimate.” He claimed that the amendments would allow the current rulers to appoint judges of their choice, ensuring favorable verdicts.
His comments followed the ruling coalition’s successful passage of the contentious judicial reforms, which were approved by a two-thirds majority in parliament, with 225 votes in the lower house and 65 in the upper house. The new legislation stipulates that the Chief Justice of Pakistan will be selected by a parliamentary committee and will serve a fixed term of three years. A new constitutional bench is also set to be formed.
Following a lengthy parliamentary session that began Sunday evening and extended into early Monday morning, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advised President Asif Ali Zardari to sign the bill into law. With the president’s assent, the Constitutional Amendment Bill 2024 has officially become law, paving the way for a Special Parliamentary Committee to oversee the appointment of the new Chief Justice under Article 175A.
Gandapur vowed that PTI’s protests would continue until the current government is removed, accusing it of prioritizing its interests over those of the public. “Our workers are united, and I will lead the protests that will span the entire country. We will block roads across Pakistan,” he declared.
He instructed party members to conduct the movement peacefully and politically. In response to reports of PTI-affiliated lawmakers voting in favor of the legislation, Gandapur promised action against those he described as having “backstabbed” the party. He revealed that names of those who allegedly sold their votes have surfaced, and the party will issue show-cause notices accordingly.
“It has now been established that my decision not to give a ticket to Mubarak Zeb was correct. He betrayed the party by misusing the PTI founder’s image,” Gandapur concluded.
