TTAP delegation to visit Sindh on 16th

LAHORE:

Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aain-e-Pakistan (TTAP) will head to Sindh over the weekend, seemingly following in the footsteps of K-P Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who also wrapped up a short trip to Karachi this week.

According to TTAP, its leadership will arrive in Karachi by air on January 16 for a three-day visit. During the trip, they will attend events in Karachi being planned by PTI Sindh leader Haleem Adil Sheikh, which are expected to include a multi-party conference.

They will also visit Hyderabad, where they are scheduled to attend an event marking the death anniversary of GM Syed on January 17.

A TTAP spokesperson said that the visiting leadership will include Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Allama Raja Nasir, and Asad Qaiser. In addition, BAP chief Akhtar Mengal, who is currently in Karachi, is also expected to join the TTAP leadership at some of the events. Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar is likewise expected to take part in the Sindh engagements.

TTAP leaders Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir, later joined by Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, recently concluded a four-day visit to Lahore on Sunday.

The trip came exactly a week after the seemingly successful tour of Punjab by the K-P chief minister, during which he not only mobilised PTI workers but also generated considerable political buzz. In contrast, TTAP's visit failed to create significant hype.

Highlights of the TTAP visit included trips to Minar-e-Pakistan, Zaman Park, and the Lahore High Court. Although some of Achakzai's remarks made headlines, several PTI leaders said that his activities were "nothing to write home about".

TTAP, however, defended its campaign, calling it a "breath of fresh air" for PTI.

TTAP spokesperson Akhundzada Hussain said that no significant political activity had taken place in Punjab since 2023. He added that TTAP reached out to all segments of PTI—from student wings and lawyers to the women's wing—as part of efforts to mobilise supporters for the February 8 protest.

When asked about criticism that Achakzai should instead focus on creating political space and reaching across the aisle, Hussain said that Achakzai was in contact with Nawaz Sharif on this matter but declined to share further details.

He added that internal divisions in PTI were costing the party dearly and that they had to coordinate with three different PTI factions during their Punjab visit.

He rejected the impression that TTAP was opposed to resistance, saying that, in fact, some within PTI believed that "playing too soft" would not win them any political space. He said TTAP understood that it would have to take a tougher line.

Regarding the proposal for an all-parties conference in Karachi, he said that the PTI Karachi chapter was working on the idea.

According to TTAP sources, Achakzai and Nawaz Sharif are in contact in an effort to lower the political temperature. They added that TTAP was aware that Nawaz himself does not "call the shots," and therefore the alliance was not placing unrealistic expectations on him.