Islamabad: (Web Desk) At the “Movement for the Protection of Pakistan’s Constitution” national conference, opposition leaders, lawyers, journalists, intellectuals and civil society representatives gathered to declare that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) should pursue resistance rather than reconciliation with the establishment — and pledged to stand alongside it.
Participants rejected recent constitutional amendments, condemned moves to weaken parliament, criticized efforts to undermine judicial independence, and denounced restrictions on press freedom under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
Addressing the conference, movement leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai urged political reconciliation among parties to rescue Pakistan from crisis, calling for dialogue with PTI founder Imran Khan and stressing that family and party leaders must be allowed to meet him. He added that the mandate of the February 8 elections should be respected, and institutions must refrain from interfering in politics.
Veteran politician Javed Hashmi emphasized that prisons and sacrifices are the price of freedom, warning that rights are won through struggle, not retreat. Lawyer Salman Akram Raja described the sudden Toshakhana-II verdict as a national issue, not confined to one party, and echoed Imran Khan’s call for a nationwide street movement.
Former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser declared that “no options remain except resistance,” while Liaquat Baloch of Jamaat-e-Islami demanded impartial elections and reversal of controversial constitutional changes that, he argued, have eroded judicial independence.
Human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari said PTI remains Pakistan’s most popular party due to its public mandate, insisting that “in the face of oppression, reconciliation is not possible — only resistance.”
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan accused authorities of stripping the party of seats and pressuring the judiciary, stating that PTI’s millions of voters stand behind Achakzai and Raja Nasir to decide whether to negotiate or resist. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi defended Imran Khan and his wife as innocent, calling the cases against them politically motivated.
Journalist Matiullah Jan alleged that Pakistan is under “an undeclared martial law reminiscent of the Zia era,” with media and courts under tight control. Former Senator Mushataq Ahmed urged resistance “in every city, street and press club,” condemning the jailing of journalists and suppression of dissent.
Senior journalist Habib Akram warned that press freedom is under siege, with PECA being used against journalists. He noted widening divisions between institutions and politicians, questioning whether Pakistan can withstand prolonged confrontation or find another path forward.
Lawmaker Mohsin Dawar argued that Pakistan has been trapped in the same cycle for 78 years, saying Imran Khan’s conviction is not unprecedented and that “everyone knows who controls the Toshakhana — only the affected party changes.”
The conference concluded with a unified call for resistance against establishment interference, signaling a sharpening confrontation between Pakistan’s opposition forces and state institutions.
