Opposition bloc TTAP slams person-specific changes in Article 243
Pakistan
Opposition bloc TTAP rejects 27th Amendment, calling proposed changes to Article 243 “person-specific”; announces nationwide protest movement against bill.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) on Saturday rejected the proposed changes to Article 243 of the Constitution under the 27th Amendment, calling them “person-specific”.
These remarks came a day after the controversial bill was tabled in the Senate and the subsequent annoucement of TTAP to launch a nationwide protest campaign.
TTAP leaders - including the alliance head Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Vice Chairman Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, and MWM Chairman Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas - held a joint press conference in Islamabad to raise their their objections.
Khokhar said the amendments violated the principle of separation of powers and the idea of a social contract. He criticised the proposed lifetime immunity for the president, terming it “person-specific” and disconnected from public concerns at a time when “half of Pakistan is below the poverty line.”
The 27th Amendment seeks to restructure the military command by replacing the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee with a new Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), effectively elevating the army chief as the constitutionally recognised head of all armed services. It also proposes expanded powers and privileges for top military leadership.
Khokhar accused the current parliament of lacking legitimacy, citing alleged rigging in the 2024 general elections, and announced a National Consultative Conference in Islamabad next week to plan TTAP’s next steps.
Achakzai said the judiciary should hold accountable those “attacking the Constitution,” warning that TTAP would take its case to the “court of the people.” MWM chief Abbas said the amendment concentrated excessive power in one office, warning the country was “moving towards fascism.”
Meanwhile, PTI’s Barrister Ali Zafar argued that debating the bill without a notified opposition leader was “inappropriate,” while the PML-N and PPP defended the amendment, saying it had undergone thorough scrutiny before being presented.
