A delegation of the Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) headed from Islamabad to Lahore on Thursday as part of the opposition’s street mobilisation campaign.
The alliance’s spokesperson said on Wednesday that the delegation would depart on a three-day visit to Lahore as part of the opposition’s “street mobilisation”. He said the TTAP leaders will organise “political and social meetings” in Lahore, adding that the politicians will also hold meetings at Zaman Park, Imran Khan’s residence in the provincial capital.
A post shared by the TTAP on X at around 11am said that the delegation, headed by the alliance’s head Mahmood Khan Achakzai, had left for Lahore.
Shortly after, the alliance claimed that the Punjab police had arrested “several” PTI workers and had taken action against its camp in Rawalpindi’s Gujar Khan. It also shared videos showing a police van from the Gujar Khan station and men in police attire with batons.
In a separate video before his departure to Lahore, Achakzai said, “We are not going to Lahore to conquer, curse at anyone or throw rocks at them; our slogan is that we are setting out to end oppression and cruelty.”
Achakzai, who has been nominated as the next opposition leader in the National Assembly, called on the public to stand with the opposition against a Parliament “thrust upon” Pakistan.
The TTAP chief stressed that the country was suffering from “endless issues because of ill-intended decisions”.
“The government itself knows that it is invalid,” Achakzai said.
“In this regard, the TTAP has appealed to people from all walks of life to protest on Feb 8 and come stand with us,” he said, calling on people to “close their shops, rickshaws, and taxis”.
“We are starting a peaceful movement and we are here to end oppression,” he reiterated.
Standing alongside Achakzai was the opposition leader of the Punjab Assembly, Moeen Qureshi, who extended his welcome to the TTAP chief.
“There are a lot of MPAs present here who will accompany Achakzai sahib to Lahore,” he said.
He warned Punjab authorities against treating the TTAP delegation the same way as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was treated during his visit to Lahore last month.
He also reiterated that the movement would be peaceful.
In a separate post on TTAP’s X account, the alliance’s spokesperson, Hussain Yousafzai, said the convoy was heading towards Lahore via G.T. Road, terming the visit a “practice match for the larger movement”.
Yousafzai voiced optimism that the visit would give “hope to the PTI workers in Punjab”. The spokesperson also added that PTI leader Asad Qaiser would hold a press conference later today.
At a recent national conference organised by the TTAP alliance, KP CM Afridi had announced the observation of a “black day” at the national and international levels on Feb 8, which will mark the second anniversary of the general elections under which the existing parliament has been functioning.
The conference had also highlighted the need for a new Charter of Democracy — agreeing that the option of talks should never be closed — and put forth demands including an “independent” judiciary and election commission, as well as the release of “political prisoners”, which it believed were necessary for restoring stability in the country.
Meanwhile, as proposals for talks between the government and the opposition remain in limbo, a clique of politicians — under the banner of the ‘National Dialogue Committee’ (NDC) — on Wednesday called for the release of all political prisoners to reduce acrimony and pave the way for reconciliation.
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