Opp for efforts to save Constitution

TTAP chief calls upon all major political leaders to step forward for democracy

ISLAMABAD:

Main opposition leaders on Wednesday called for a renewed national political consensus to safeguard the Constitution, urging all political stakeholders to come together in the spirit of the 18th Constitutional Amendment.

The call came at a press conference held on the occasion of Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan joining the Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ain Pakistan (TTAP), an opposition parties alliance.

At the press conference, senior opposition figures announced an expanded political alignment and voiced concerns over governance, institutional functioning, and economic conditions.

National Assembly opposition leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai said political forces must work together to protect the Constitution and restore the true spirit of parliamentary democracy.

He called upon all major political leaders, including Shehbaz Sharif, Nawaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari, and Maulana Fazlur Rehman, to step forward to protect the Constitution that was collectively framed.

"Just as all political parties reached consensus during the 18th Amendment, they must come together again to protect the Constitution," he said.

He added that parliament had been weakened over time and must be restored as the true representative institution of the people, adding that his political platform was ready to extend "unconditional support" for strengthening parliamentary democracy.

Achakzai said inflation had become unbearable for ordinary citizens and called for collective political action to address public grievances.

He also cautioned that the leadership was wary of taking political agitation to the streets, saying the situation in the country was already fragile and required responsible handling.

"We are concerned about what could happen to the country in such circumstances," he remarked.

Senate Leader of Opposition Raja Nasir Abbas said Pakistan was facing institutional and democratic challenges, adding that parliament had been reduced to a symbolic forum rather than a functioning representative body.

He said citizens were facing rising inflation, unemployment, and shrinking civic space.

TTAP Vice Chairman Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar and economic spokesperson Muhammad Zubair also spoke on the occasion, reiterating that the alliance aimed to address constitutional violations and economic hardship affecting public rights.

"The economy is under severe strain, with inflation, unemployment, and heavy taxation affecting ordinary citizens. The government must focus on public relief and economic stability," he said.