Senior legal figure and PTI founder’s focal person, Advocate Intizar Hussain Panjotha, on Wednesday emphasized the critical role of lawyers in upholding Pakistan’s rule of law.

Talking to senior members of the Insaf Lawyers Forum (ILF) during a meeting in Karachi, Panjotha, alongside Barrister Ali Ijaz Buttar and other senior PTI lawyers, called for intensified efforts for Imran Khan’s release and significant legal reforms.

During the meeting with PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh and other prominent figures, discussions focused on the reorganization of the ILF and strategies for the upcoming Bar Council elections. Panjotha praised Sindh’s legal fraternity for their role in the Babarloui protest, describing their resistance as a significant victory.

Panjotha urged legal efforts to repeal the 26th Constitutional Amendment and reverse amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), which he claimed stifled freedom of expression. Barrister Ali Ijaz Buttar criticized the current regime for authoritarianism and pledged that PTI-aligned lawyers would contest Bar elections to restore judicial independence.

Haleem said: ‘The law of the jungle has replaced constitutional rule, strangling justice.’ He further stated that the 26th Amendment weakened the judiciary, while changes to PECA imposed severe restrictions on freedom of speech both of which demand a united legal resistance. He highlighted the need for constitutional supremacy, emphasizing the critical role of the lawyers’ movement in achieving this goal.