SWABI: Former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser said on Friday that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf workers and leaders were fully prepared for another ‘momentous’ public meeting to be held in Lahore on Saturday (today) ‘for constitutional supremacy’.

Addressing a public gathering in Gulu Dheri area here, he said that they would continue their fight for an “independent judiciary” and people’s emancipation.

About the proposed constitutional package, Mr Qaiser alleged that the ruling alliance wanted to impose “civil martial law” in the country, but the opposition parties had managed to block its move with the help of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

The MNA alleged that the constitutional package was a bid to pave the way for civilians’ trial in military courts.

Says PTI fully prepared for today’s Lahore rally.

“The draft of the constitutional amendments given to Akhtar Mengal, who is chairman of his own faction of Balochistan National Party, and the one given to Maulana Fazlur Rehman were different from each other and the original copy of the amendments was with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari,” he claimed.

Mr Qaiser observed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was a weak premier, and was in fact ‘propped up’ by undemocratic forces.

He claimed that the government wanted to weaken democracy by subverting the 1973 Constitution.

Mr Qaiser alleged that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, whose grandfather, late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, was one of the creators of the 1973 Constitution, was involved in this conspiracy. “Bilawal is sitting with those people, who are not democratic.”

Speaking on the occasion, MNA Shahram Khan Tarakai said with the help of JUI-F chief, PTI had successfully blocked the passage of the so-called constitutional package from the parliament.

“The Maulana has played a prominent role in foiling the government’s bid,” he said.

He accused the Awami National Party of supporting the government’s move, which he said was a big surprise for the Pakhtuns of Khyber Pakhtunkhawa and Balochistan.

Shahram claimed that if the constitutional package was passed, no one would be able to question the government’s wrongdoings.

“Now, you (people) have to come out of your homes for constitutional supremacy. It is time everyone played his/her due role for the country’s sake,” he said.

Aqibullah Khan, provincial minister for irrigation, said arrests and registration of unjust cases could not deter the party activists from continuing their struggle for the ‘rule of law and democracy’.

Earlier, the PTI leaders inaugurated work on the Swabi-Jehangira Bypass. The project would be completed at at a cost Rs1 billion.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2024