SWABI: PTI leader Asad Qaiser on Sunday vowed that his party will roll back the 26th Constitutional Amendment whenever it returned to power.

The former National Assembly speaker said this while addressing a gathering in the build-up to PTI’s rally in Swabi on Feb 8.

Mr Qaiser alleged that the 26th Constitutional Amendment has practically made courts “subservient” to government.

“We will fight for an independent judiciary and will liberate the courts from the clutches of these tyrants,” Mr Qaiser said while referring to the incumbent government.

Expresses support for journalists’ movement against Peca amendments

He called independent judiciary a “prerequisite for justice and strengthening of a true democratic order” in the country.

He also criticised the recent amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, calling it an attack on people’s fundamental right to free speech.

The law passed has completely eroded freedom of expression and “our basic right to free speech has been snatched”.

“On Feb 8, we will raise our voice against it,” he said, demanding the government immediately repeal the amendments.

He added that his party stands with journalists in their movement against the new law.

‘Rigged’ elections

The PTI leader once again called last year’s general elections “rigged”, calling for the accountability of those who stopped PTI from forming the government. The elections were rigged “under a well-planned strategy” to block PTI and “install a feeble government”, Mr Qaiser claimed.

He said the rigging of general elections “flagrantly violated” people’s fundamental right to elect their representatives, Constitution and principles of universal franchise.

Mr Qaiser accused the ruling PML-N of being the “primary beneficiary of rigged elections”, claiming the party only won 17 seats.

“Now, it is ruling the country against the wishes of voters who voted for someone but are being ruled by someone else.”

He said following the elections, PML-N president Nawaz Sharif delivered a victory speech despite knowing that his party had suffered an “ignominious defeat”.

Security challenges

Mr Qaiser raised concerns over the rising number of terrorist attacks, saying the law and order situation was deteriorating, particularly in Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa and Balochistan.

“The increasing incidents of terrorism have worried citizens, and they don’t know how to cope with the government’s failure,” he said.

He noted that while security personnel were “making tremendous sacrifices for their motherland”, the government was focused on “suppressing PTI” rather than addressing the critical issues faced by Pakistan.

While talking about Saturday’s rally, Mr Qaiser said circumstances have forced PTI leaders to hold public meetings and educate people about the “wrong policies” of the federal government.

“We were compelled to enter the field again and will not give up until we achieve our goal, he added. “People are with us.”

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2025