Opp bloc calls nationwide Friday protest
The Tehreek Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (TTAP), the opposition alliance led by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), on Wednesday announced country-wide protests on Friday (tomorrow) for the release of party prisoners, including former prime minister Imran Khan.
The decision, taken during a TTAP meeting, came as the PTI continued its hunger strike camps in Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar where party leaders stressed that the PTI was elected by the people because it always spoke about the rights of the people.
After the TTAP meeting, the leaders of the opposition alliance said that peaceful demonstrations would be held across the country on Friday and invited all the opposition parties and the people of Pakistan to join the protests.
Former National Assembly speaker and PTI stalwart Asad Qaiser said that the protest would highlight three primary demands of the opposition: an end to unprecedented inflation, establishment of peace, and the release of Imran Khan and other political prisoners.
Criticising the government, Qaiser accused those in power of operating on a "fake mandate." He emphasised that the protests were essential to address the ongoing economic and political crises in the country.
Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai declared Imran Khan as the "most popular" leader in Pakistan. He promised to play his role for the release of all political prisoners, including Imran, and called on the masses to participate in the demonstrations.
Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) Chairman Allama Raja Nasir Abbas said that the government was contemplating invoking Article 6 of the Constitution [high treason] against PTI founder Imran Khan.
"Imran Khan has the support of 99% of Pakistanis, and applying Article 6 will be an affront to the entire nation," he said. He criticised the decision-makers for allowing those who have previously failed to govern, to form the new government after the elections.
The call for Friday protests coincided with the announcement from Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) for a sit-in in Islamabad the same day (tomorrow) against inflation and the power tariff hike. However, the TTAP leaders said all the opposition parties will participate in their protest.
Meanwhile, PTI sources said that the party had chalked out its plans for the protests. They said that all the party's parliamentarians would hold the protest in their constituencies, while Shoaib Shaheen would lead the protest from Islamabad.
Separately, on the second day of the PTI's hunger strike camp, opposition leaders including Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz, Asad Qaiser, Mahmood Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas fired broadsides against the government for its failures on several fronts.
"The PTI can never be banned," said Omar Ayub, the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly. He demanded immediate release of the PTI founder and other political prisoners. "This hunger strike will continue until the release of Imran Khan," he said.
His views were seconded by Asad Qaiser. "The era of banning political parties is over," he said. He added that people would protest peacefully on Friday against inflation and taxes. He also demanded the release of Imran, his wife Bushra Bibi and other party activists.
In his speech, Raja Abbas vowed to continue "our struggle for the supremacy of the Constitution". He said that Article 6 should be invoked against those "who destroyed the country". He asked: "Is it treason to talk about the rule of law?"
Achakzai also said that at present Pakistan is suffering the worst crisis in its history and stressed that the opposition alliance stood for the supremacy of the Constitution. Shibli Faraz said that at present, the constitution was suspended, the freedom of expression suppressed and the civil liberties curtailed.
The PTI also organised a symbolic hunger strike camp outside the Punjab Assembly in Lahore, where a large number of provincial assembly members and party workers attended. The participants were addressed by Azam Khan Swati, who strongly criticised the cases against Imran.
A hunger strike camp was set up at Kabutar Chowk on the Ring Road in Peshawar, under the leadership of PTI Additional General Secretary Irfan Saleem. Saleem said that Imran was being punished for fighting the war for supremacy of law and Constitution.