In a strongly worded address in the National Assembly on Monday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Qaiser condemned the 27th Constitutional Amendment as “the most controversial amendment in history” and announced plans to take the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Calling the amendment “a stain on the history of Pakistan,” Qaiser accused the ruling party of undermining democratic norms and said the change effectively granted “lifetime immunity” to President Asif Ali Zardari. “Today, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's grandson took out the funeral of the constitution,” he said, invoking strong historical symbolism to describe what he called a betrayal of the party’s democratic legacy.
Qaiser rejected the legitimacy of the parliamentary process that produced the amendment. “How can an unelected parliament make such a law?” he asked, challenging both the process and the substance of the change and urging members to point to any clause that “is for the relief of the people.” He warned that the ruling party’s actions would alienate its base: “The People’s Party is no longer the People’s Party… The people of Sindh will reject the People’s Party in the future.”
On next steps, Qaiser outlined a multi-pronged strategy. “We have only one way out. We will go to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). We will protest against them and go to the people,” he told the assembly, adding that the opposition would present a “comprehensive plan of action” and stage protests across Pakistan. He also said a “peace jirga” has been called for the 12th as part of the response, and urged that foreign policy be addressed in parliamentary debate.
Qaiser raised concerns about the judiciary’s independence under the new law, claiming it had been “paralyzed” and questioning whether the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Bench could be relied upon “to give justice to the people and the opposition.” He framed the amendment as creating “the law of the jungle” and repeatedly pledged to hold the government accountable.