PESHAWAR: Adviser to the chief minister for information and public relations Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif has accused the government of leveraging constitutional amendments to suppress Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

“After using state machinery for repression, they are now resorting to constitutional amendments to silence us. This is utterly unacceptable,” Barrister Saif said in a statement issued here on Friday.

He said across the country, the public was protesting vigorously against what they perceived as the tyranny of the “fake government”. He said that these protests would continue until the nation was freed from the grip of the “fake government”.

“Blinded by their animosity towards Imran Khan, the rulers are causing irreversible harm to the country,” he said, adding, “The people stand united against the unjust imprisonment of our leader, Imran Khan, and we will not rest until he and all other political prisoners are freed.”

Barrister Saif also expressed concern over the illegal detention of provincial assembly members, rescue workers, and thousands of PTI supporters. He stressed that only an independent judiciary could act as a meaningful check on this “tyranny,” but warned that the government was now threatening judicial independence.

“They are preparing to undermine the judiciary’s autonomy, but we will resist. A strong and independent judiciary is vital for democracy and justice to take root in Pakistan,” he said.

Barrister Saif also criticised the tactics being employed in parliament, accusing the ruling coalition of applying undue pressure to secure the passage of contentious constitutional amendments. In a call to action, he urged the lawyers’ community to play their part in defending the judiciary’s independence.

Criticising Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Barrister Saif stated that, “The PPP, which claims to uphold democracy, is now aligned with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in actions that contradict its founder and former prime minister late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s vision.”

He clarified that despite the heavy-handed tactics employed by the government the struggle for justice and democracy would not be stifled.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2024