Lawyers criticized what they called the marginalization of the judiciary, while journalists spoke out against the PECA Law.
A national conference held on Saturday under the banner of Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aain Pakistan agreed that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf should adopt a path of resistance rather than reconciliation, and pledged to support that path.
According Express NewsAn opposition-led forum at the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) House in the federal capital brought together representatives of political parties, the legal fraternity, media and civil society. Speakers criticized recent constitutional amendments and denounced what they called the weakening of parliament.
Lawyers criticized what they called the marginalization of the judiciary, while journalists spoke out against the PECA Law. Conference participants collectively agreed that “resistance, not reconciliation” should be sought against what they described as the role of the establishment, urging the PTI to take the lead and pledging their support.
Gohar calls Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi sentences ‘murder of justice’
Speaking at the conference, PTI president Barrister Gohar Khan said that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi had been sentenced once again, calling it a “murder of justice”.
He said the party believed that after May 2025, “the chapter of convictions and sentences would come to an end” and the country would move towards “the supremacy of justice.” He added that the PTI had withstood the pressure without resorting to chaos or sit-ins, “never taking the law into its own hands,” and continued to hope that its leader would be released, allowing the Constitution, democracy and the rule of law to advance.
However, he said repeated verdicts “which go against the constitution and the law” were sowing despair among the public and raising questions about the future of democracy.
Read: ATC imposes 10-year jail terms on Yasmin Rashid, Omar Cheema and other PTI leaders
Lawyer Gohar said that after the latest convictions, he posted on X that party leaders had “collectively received sentences worth 70 years.” He added that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi had already received 60 years of collective sentences and that there were seven more cases pending against the leaders.
“If convictions are also handed down in those cases, the total sentence could reach 140 years,” he said, questioning “how long those punishments would last.”
He said judges were no longer safe, political leaders were insecure and even members of parliament were not protected. Referring to Asad Qaiser’s repeated comments, Gohar said that despite advising against such statements, circumstances forced them to acknowledge that the country was “effectively under martial law”.
He said the two-day conference would serve as a platform to debate crucial issues and stressed that “neither extremism nor anti-democratic forces should be allowed to prevail.”
Gohar added that Imran Khan was not in prison for a crime but “for the freedom of the people,” and said that when the public gets his freedom, “their leader will be released.” He called on political actors not to obstruct solutions. “When leaders fail to open paths for the public, people are eventually forced to find their own path,” he warned.
Read more: Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi sentenced to 17 years in Toshakhana 2.0
He said electoral manipulation in the by-elections and other developments had deepened the crisis. He added that he had asked Imran Khan for permission to negotiate, saying that Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Raja Nasir Abbas had been given the decision to continue talks or resistance, “with the backing of the PTI founder and millions of voters.”
Gohar said the movement was called Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aain Pakistan and added that if the situation had been anticipated earlier, “it would have been called Constitution Restoration Movement.”
Achakzai calls for dialogue
Addressing the conference, Pakistan Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aain chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai called for reconciliation between political forces and said differences should be put aside to bring the country out of the crisis.
He said democratic dialogue remained possible, adding that if negotiations were to take place, permission should be granted for talks with PTI founder Imran Khan.
Achakzai said that while sentences were being handed down, even basic rights such as “meetings with family and political leaders” were denied. He called on Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Nawaz Sharif and Jamaat-e-Islami to sit together, saying the mandate of the February 8 elections should be recognized by recognizing the “winner”.
He also referred to a report that alleged corruption worth Rs 5,309 billion and stressed that “state institutions must perform their functions without interfering in politics.”
Call for street movement
PTI general secretary Salman Akram Raja said the party had gone to court expecting a hearing but instead “received an unexpected verdict in the Toshakhana-II case”. He said the situation “is no longer about a single political party but about a broader system of injustice.”
Raja said Imran Khan had conveyed a message to the nation to “prepare for a street movement”, saying “there is no other alternative”.
He said restrictions were being imposed under legal provisions to prevent mobilization, but stressed the need for collective action. He added that the PTI was fighting a “battle of principles, not for power”, supporting those “whose voices were not heard”.
Former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser said there were “no options left” and the party would now take to the streets. He said “resistance is the only way forward”, rejecting any claims that the PTI could be intimidated and demanding “merit-based” justice for Imran Khan.
KP CM denounces political injustice
KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said an “unfair decision” had been announced against their leader. He said injustice existed even before the recent constitutional amendments and that democratic institutions had long been paralyzed.
Afridi said Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were “innocent” and that “false cases” had been filed. He said that political parties must remain politicians and not “tools for others,” and described the fight as a fight to strengthen democracy.
Prominent politician Javed Hashmi said prisons and sacrifice had historically led nations to freedom, adding that rights were guaranteed through “struggle, not retreat.” He emphasized unity and rejected divisive narratives, saying he opposed politics driven by confrontation, but noted that “meaningful dialogue had repeatedly failed.”
Revocation of requested amendments
Jamaat-e-Islami leader Liaquat Baloch said efforts must be made to strengthen voices calling for fair elections. He said that political parties, the media and civil society must unite on a national agenda, where the minimum agreement should be “the protection of the constitution.”
He called for the revocation of constitutional amendments approved, in his words, through “artificial majorities and bad faith,” arguing that they undermined judicial independence and fundamental rights.
Support for the resistance
Human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari said the PTI remained the most popular party because “the public had given its mandate to Imran Khan”. He urged the PTI to decide whether it would seek resistance or reconciliation, saying “compromise is not possible in the face of oppression.”
Mazari said the issue now revolved around “the rights and mandate of the people” and called for collective condemnation of the alleged mistreatment of political figures and activists. He criticized what he described as “unprecedented actions against judges” and restrictions on journalists, saying that telling the truth had been criminalized and that journalists faced arrest for doing their work.
Journalist Matiullah Jan said the country was under an “openly enforced form of martial law,” while former senator Mushtaq Ahmad called for resistance in “cities and public spaces.”
Read: Imran says that the avenues of justice are closed and asks his followers to prepare for the street movement
Journalist Habib Akram said restrictions on the media had been intensified under the PECA Law, and questioned whether there was any “peaceful path forward”.
PTM leader Mohsin Dawar said Pakistan had been stuck in the same cycle for decades, adding that the convictions of political leaders were nothing new and “only the party concerned changes with time.”
The conference concluded with a renewed call for resistance to reconciliation, urging collective action to protect constitutional and democratic rights.
