Islamabad, Nov 14 (IANS) Pakistan’s opposition alliance, the Tehreek-i-Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), on Friday pledged to hold protests through all democratic means for the restoration of the Constitution to its original form after the passage of the controversial 26th and 27th Amendments, local media reported.

The TTAP said that next Friday will be observed as a “Black Day” in Pakistan.

Its announcement came after Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari signed the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill into law on Thursday.

In a statement shared on X, the TTAP said it was holding an emergency meeting at Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) Chairman Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas’ residence. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Ali Gohar and Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal, Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai and other leaders attended the meeting, Pakistan’s leading daily Dawn reported.

The participants of the meeting shouted slogans against the post-amendment Constitution and dictatorship and in favour of PTI founder Imran Khan and democracy. TTAP’s press release following the meeting stated: “TTAP reiterates its resistance and struggle against these unconstitutional amendments and will vigorously protest through all democratic means to restore the Constitution in its original form and demands that the Constitution be restored in its original form.”

In the press release, the TTAP stated that amendments were against the basic structure of the constitution and an attack on the judiciary, which is the fundamental pillar of democracy. It further stated that the amendments “destroyed the basic structure of the Constitution” while introducing person-specific changes.

The TTAP stated that it rejected the amendments and demanded restoration of the Constitution to its original form. “These controversial constitutional amendments have completely destroyed the judiciary and limited the authority and existence of the Supreme Court.”

Earlier in the day, Justice Aminuddin Khan took oath as the first Chief Justice of Pakistan’s newly-established Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Friday. Zardari administered the oath to Justice Khan as Chief Justice of the FCC at Aiwan e Sadr, the official residence of Pakistan’s President.

Khan’s appointment was made by Zardari on Thursday under Clause 3 of Article 175A, read with Article 175C, of the Constitution, adding that it would take effect from the date of Justice Aminuddin’s swearing-in ceremony, Dawn reported.

The proposal to create the FCC has been revived as part of the judicial reform included in the 27th Constitutional Amendment. The government officials stated that the FCC is established to reduce the workload of the Supreme Court and ensure timely judgment of constitutional cases, and bolster judicial independence and credibility.

–IANS

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