PTI founder terms 26th amendment an ‘assault’ on judicial system

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan Tuesday strongly criticized the 26th Constitutional Amendment, calling it an “assault” on Pakistan’s judicial system.Senior lawyer Faisal Chaudhry told this following his meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.The meeting was held under the standard operating procedures established for legal consultations. PTI founder’s wife, Bushra Bibi, also met with Imran Khan.Imran Khan alleged that judges were being “imported” into the Supreme Court and High Courts to manipulate the judiciary in favor of the current ruling establishment.He further claimed that the existing government’s interests were in direct conflict with the national interest.Reiterating PTI’s strong political standing, Khan asserted that his party remains the largest political force in the country.He cited the general elections held on February 8, 2024, as evidence of the public’s overwhelming support for PTI.However, he accused former chief justice Qazi Faez Isa of providing complete protection to electoral fraud, which allegedly manipulated the election results.The PTI founder instructed his legal team to support the lawyers’ movement advocating for judicial appointments based on merit and transparency.He also voiced concerns over Pakistan’s diminishing rule of law, stating that state institutions were being used to suppress PTI instead of taking action against terrorism.Regarding his ongoing trial, he lamented that he was being subjected to a “controlled trial” and was not being granted a fair legal process.His legal team confirmed that a formal petition had been filed to conduct his trial in an open court.The former prime minister also expressed gratitude to the people for their support during a recent public gathering in Swabi.Additionally, he criticized selective media coverage, urging news outlets to demonstrate courage in reporting judicial and political injustices.He emphasized that over 60,000 human rights petitions were pending in the Supreme Court, calling for greater transparency in the judicial system. He also called for an audit of the Supreme Court and High Court records.Regarding economic concerns, the PTI founder confirmed that the party’s delegation would meet the visiting IMF team and present a dossier detailing economic mismanagement over the past two and a half years. He claimed the dossier was based on facts and would expose financial injustices.