ISLAMABAD:
PTI leader Salman Akram Raja on Monday asserted that “the time to stand up has come,” warning that there was “no place left in this country for decency, the Constitution, or the law”.
He expressed these views during a general house meeting organised by the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) against the 27th Constitutional Amendment and to pay tribute to the judges who resigned in protest.
The meeting, presided over by LHCBA President Malik Asif Ahmad Nissoana, was attended by Salman Akram Raja, Lahore Bar President Mubashir Rehman Chaudhry, and several other lawyers.
Participants condemned the amendment and voiced support for members of the superior judiciary who stepped down over the “assault on judicial independence”.
Addressing the gathering, Raja said it was imperative to challenge the constitutional overhaul, adding that the struggle for people’s rights was still ongoing in this country. “The public is treated as insignificant,” he lamented.
“Our struggle spans decades — we must rise for our future generations; we cannot sit at home,” he further urged.
Reiterating his party’s grievances over the alleged “mandate theft”, he recalled that what happened on February 8 was an insult to humanity.
“Pakistan is the only country where a civilian is tried in military courts. The Supreme Court struck down civilian trials in military courts, but they got it approved again through a constitutional bench.”
“The same constitutional bench handed over the reserved seats that were meant for PTI to other parties. The head of the constitutional court was appointed by the prime minister, and the remaining judges were appointed by that same head.”.
Recalling the 2007 lawyers’ movement, Raja added, “When we took to the streets in 2007, the doors were chained shut, but our conviction broke those chains. Today again, the time has come to stand up; there is no other option”.
