After failing to block the passage of the 26th constitutional amendment by both houses of Parliament, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday unveiled a plan to launch a nationwide protest movement.

The announcement was made by the general secretary of the party founded by Imran Khan, Salman Akram Raja, at a press conference in Lahore, calling the 26th Amendment an “attack on the Constitution of Pakistan and the judiciary”.

He said his party would strongly resist constitutional changes and added that a plan had been drawn up to hold sit-ins and protests across the country.

The major protest announcement came after a series of demonstrations and shows of force organized by the main opposition party to pressure the incumbent government to withdraw from constitutional adjustments centered on the justice system.

Earlier this month, the embattled opposition party had announced a protest at D-Chowk on October 15, but its political committee postponed it due to the two-day SCO summit in Islamabad.

Raja also criticized the ruling government for the alleged mistreatment of party founder Imran Khan, who was imprisoned in Adiala jail in Rawalpindi for over a year.

He alleged, “Inhuman treatment is being meted out to the PTI founder,” an allegation denied by the Adiala jail authorities.

Responding to a question regarding the role of Khan’s wife after his release from prison, Raja clarified that Bushra Bibi had no intention of playing any role in the country’s politics.

Replying to a question related to Sher Afzal Marwat’s recent statements in which he threw shade at the PTI leadership for an ineffective protest movement and particularly criticized Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.

To this, the PTI general secretary hinted at disciplinary action against Marwat. “We are giving a chance to Sher Afzal Marwat. If he fails to maintain party discipline, we will take action against him,” he said.

Reacting to Raja’s statement, Marwat expressed regret over the PTI general secretary’s remarks, saying he “is always ready to work with him”.

The PTI leader added, “You (Salman Akram Raja) are neither my boss nor do you have any authority to control me. PTI founder and (party president) lawyer Gohar Ali Khan are my bosses and I am answerable to them. No, another person has value to me.

It may be noted here that Marwat had termed his party’s protest as “not up to the mark” during his meeting with the incarcerated PTI founder a day ago. He also claimed that Khan had ordered to form a new protest committee and he (Marwat) would be part of it.