ISLAMABAD: The Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan’s (TTAP) two-day all-parties conference got off to a rocky start on Thursday, with participants condemning, what they called, government attempts to deny them their constitutional and legal right to hold peaceful political activities in the federal capital.
They warned that the country would sink deeper into political and economic turmoil if fascist and dictatorial forces continued with their mis-governance, loot and plunder. The participants also criticised the hurried disqualification of lawmakers through ‘questionable’ processes. Speaking at the conference, held under makeshift arrangements, TTAP head Mahmood Khan Achakzai emphasized that the Constitution of Pakistan explicitly states that anyone who tampers with, or suspends the law, is liable to capital punishment. “Those who suspend the Constitution, along with their supporters, fall under the ambit of Article 6,” he asserted. He said the opposition alliance had resolved to greet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the “Havaldar Speaker” with black flags in every city they visit. Addressing the premier directly, Achakzai stated that parliament derives its strength from the people’s mandate, and the public would soon chant, “Down with fascism, long live democracy.”
Achakzai pointed out that Pakistan is one of the world’s richest countries, with mineral resources worth trillions of dollars, yet the people of Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab continue to struggle for basic sustenance.
“For the past three years, I have been saying that the wisdom of Pakistan’s rulers, as well as those of Iran, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, is being tested. Our region risks becoming a battleground for global powers due to its resources, but collective wisdom can avert this disaster,” he argued.
He also sent a message to the United States and European democracies, stating that any agreements made with the current government would not be binding on the opposition, as they do not recognise its legitimacy.
Achakzai lamented that over 4,000 PTI workers remain imprisoned over minor issues, questioning whether the Constitution no longer guarantees the right to protest. “You accuse us of terrorism on May 9 and impose nine-year sentences, yet when floods trapped families in Swat, not a single government helicopter came to their rescue. Now, dozens hover over Bajaur to bomb our children,” he charged.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan asserted that certain elements are attempting to dismantle democracy in Pakistan, even though raising one’s voice for rights and against oppression is a fundamental democratic right. “No party’s workers have sacrificed as much as PTI’s,” he claimed, condemning the rapid convictions and 45-year sentences handed down in recent days. He expressed disbelief that bullets were fired at peaceful rallies and called on political parties to decide whether Pakistan’s future lies in democracy. He announced that the PTI would soon unveil a democratic and popular roadmap for the future and would support all alliances advocating for constitutional rule, justice, and the law. Jamaat-e-Islami’s Mushtaq Ahmad denounced the refusal to allow the APC in a hotel as a sign of fascism, reflecting the rulers’ fear of public dissent. He condemned the suppression of political gatherings, saying it exposed the government’s insecurity. He also criticised recent court verdicts, calling them evidence of fascism and constitutional erosion. He labeled parliament a “rubber stamp,” the Election Commission a tool of dictatorship, and the judiciary as failing in its duties. Former NA Speaker and senior PTI leader Asad Qaiser demanded transparency regarding recent trade agreements with the US reported in the media.
