Pakistan: PTI, TTAP stage nationwide protests against 27th Amendment and mistreatment of Imran Khan's sisters

Islamabad [Pakistan], November 22 : The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) held coordinated demonstrations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Karachi to oppose the 27th Constitutional Amendment and the alleged mistreatment of PTI founder Imran Khan's sisters outside Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, Dawn reported.

According to Dawn, police in Karachi detained around half a dozen people on Friday to stop them from reaching the scheduled protest venue. Rallies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were held on the directives of PTI's provincial president Junaid Akbar after TTAP announced its plan to march.

District-level protests saw PTI workers chanting slogans while holding portraits of Imran Khan.

Outside the Peshawar Press Club, dozens of party workers gathered at a demonstration addressed by Local Government Minister Meena Khan Afridi, MNA Sher Ali Arbab and PTI's district president Irfan Saleem, Dawn stated.

Afridi told supporters that Imran Khan had given TTAP leadership two pathways, saying, "The first option is to hold negotiations with the powers that be to sort out all outstanding issues," adding that if talks fail, "the second option would be peaceful protest across the country."

Afridi also criticised the immunity granted under the 27th Amendment, telling the crowd, "Immunity is un-Islamic, unethical and in violation of traditions."

He said the amendment had undone the "1973 Constitution," which he described as a binding social contract. He urged the Insaf Lawyers Forum to challenge the amendment and mobilise public support.

Saleem said the party's campaign for "the supremacy of the Constitution, the rule of law and human rights" would continue until its objectives were achieved.

He criticised security agencies for allegedly detaining PTM workers after a recent grand 'jirga', arguing that "only the elected people have the right to rule Pakistan, while those imposed on the nation have no rights and are ruling the country illegally."

As reported by Dawn, protests were also staged in multiple KP districts. In Swabi, PTI workers accused the federal government of serving "the establishment" since taking power through what they termed a fraudulent election.

On the Swabi-Jahangira road, MNA Shahram Tarakai said that terrorists "have never been tried in the courts of Islamabad, but PTI leaders have been tried there to stop them from serving the people."

In Mohmand's Mian Mandi Bazar, a large gathering led by MNA Sajid Khan and MPA Muhammad Israr rallied against what they called a "direct assault on Pakistan's constitution, judicial subjugation and extension scheme."

Protesters waved black flags and shouted "Withdraw the 27th Amendment" and "Long Live the Constitution." MNA Khan claimed the amendment was designed "to block the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf from the elections."

Israr told participants that the treatment of Imran Khan's sisters was "beyond tolerance," asserting that "the establishment wants to completely dismantle the PTI." He said the rulers were using "Form 47" to undermine judicial independence.

In Battagram, protesters gathered on the Karakoram Highway, holding placards to criticise the federal government. District president Niaz Muhammad Khan Trand said Pakistan was founded on Islamic principles and argued that accountability applied to all.

He accused the PML-N government of trying to place itself "above the law through the 27th Amendment," adding it was intended "to conceal the government's mismanagement, corruption and administrative failures."

He further alleged attempts to sideline PTI and its leadership, insisting the party remained the most popular political force in the country.

Dawn reported that in Bajaur, a demonstration in the Sewai area of War Mamund tehsil drew scores of PTI supporters who shouted slogans against the PML-N-led federal coalition. They described the amendment as an effort to further damage the judicial system.

In Punjab, PTI's Chief Organiser Aliya Hamza directed all party ticket holders to take part in the coordinated protest, urging them to wear black bands and carry placards.

By evening, only scattered demonstrations were reported across the province. In a message posted on X, Hamza said the demonstrations had remained peaceful, stating that "participants held protest placards and staged a peaceful demonstration."

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