PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has threatened a nationwide blockade if the senior-most judge is not appointed as the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP).
In a statement released on Tuesday, Gandapur criticized the government for its “self-serving” decisions, particularly the 26th Constitutional Amendment, which he claimed undermines the Constitution and the rights of the people.
He accused the federal government of damaging Pakistan’s economy and institutions, as well as laundering money abroad. Gandapur also lashed out at Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, accusing her of making baseless terrorism allegations against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and warning that her tactics could backfire on her own family.
Earlier, addressing the KP Assembly, Gandapur condemned the 26th Constitutional Amendment, calling it an “attack” on the judiciary by a federal government that, he argued, lacks a mandate. He likened the pre-dawn passage of the amendment to a robbery, stating, “Such attacks are always carried out at night.”
Hinting at a possible protest by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the coming days, Gandapur declared, “This is a war for the nation. We will be more prepared this time with a different plan. It’s a do-or-die moment, and we will emerge victorious.”
He also accused certain PTI lawmakers of betraying the party by supporting the constitutional amendments, vowing to expose them by the end of the night.