ISLAMABAD: The Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aain Pakistan (TTAP) has decided to make its September 27 protest more effective and expand the movement across the country, according to a statement issued after a meeting of the alliance.
The important meeting was held in Islamabad under the chairmanship of alliance head and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Mahmood Khan Achakzai.
Participants discussed the country’s political situation, the ongoing crisis in the Middle East and its potential impact on Pakistan, along with other key issues.
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Allama Nasir Abbas, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan, Salman Akram Raja, Asad Qaiser, Balochistan National Party chief Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal, Zain Shah, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Zubair Umar and Senator Mushtaq Ahmed were among those who attended the meeting.
According to the statement, participants discussed the difficulties faced by the public as a result of government economic policies, including inflation, unemployment and petroleum prices.
The security situation in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was also discussed in detail.
The proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment and matters relating to the creation of new provinces also came under discussion.
The alliance decided to formulate a joint political, media and public outreach strategy to make the September 27 protest effective. It also agreed to intensify contacts with all democratic political parties and hold an All Parties Conference.
The statement said peaceful protest was a constitutional right of citizens and political parties. The September 27 protest was described as the starting point of a broader movement that would be expanded across the country.
The main issues highlighted for the protest include inflation, unemployment, petroleum prices and the deteriorating law and order situation.
The participants also agreed on the need to protect the Constitution, Parliament, the federal system and provincial rights, as well as the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award and the resources and powers of the provinces.
The alliance maintained that a government lacking a representative mandate should not have the authority to alter the geographical status of provinces or divide them merely into administrative units.
The meeting also called for maintaining Sindh’s existing geographical and administrative status. Participants expressed concern over severe water shortages in the Indus River system and demanded that no new canals or water projects be initiated.
The statement expressed reservations over what the alliance described as non-implementation of a Supreme Court decision concerning the treatment of PTI founder Imran Khan. It also voiced concern over the health and meeting arrangements of Imran Khan, his wife and other prisoners, and called for direct meetings with them.
The alliance demanded the immediate recovery of all allegedly forcibly disappeared persons and called for an end to target killings, alleged fake encounters, extrajudicial killings and death squads. It also condemned alleged raids on the homes of PTI workers, arrests and violations of the sanctity of private residences.
The meeting called for the release of Balochistan Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders and other political workers, as well as the withdrawal of what it described as political cases. It also demanded the immediate restoration of border trade and rejected the Mines and Minerals Act.
The alliance condemned what it described as undemocratic conduct during Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s visit to Punjab and strongly condemned the Kohat blast.
The statement also expressed reservations over the 26th and 27th Constitutional Amendments and stressed the need to protect Parliament’s constitutional role. The alliance further condemned the re-arrest of Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir following her release.