Sept 27 protest fuels opposition unity drive
Amid the looming September 27 protest, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday stepped up efforts to bring opposition parties under one umbrella, reaching out to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman while moving towards an all-parties conference on the country's political, constitutional and economic challenges.
The latest round of opposition consultations came as PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan invited Fazlur Rehman and the wider joint opposition to participate in the September 27 march, which the PTI says will be peaceful and aimed at seeking justice, fresh elections and protection of constitutional rights.
A PTI delegation led by Gohar and comprising former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser met Fazlur Rehman at his residence on Friday. The two sides discussed the September 27 protest, the proposed all-parties conference and the formation of a joint opposition.
The Maulana and other JUI-F leaders received the delegation.
Joint opposition in NA, Senate
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Gohar said the two sides had already agreed in principle on a joint opposition in both the National Assembly and Senate.
"Talks were held with Maulana Fazlur Rehman on a joint opposition. There had been an agreement on a joint opposition in the Senate and National Assembly," he said.
"We have decided that all political parties will be taken into confidence on national issues," Gohar said.
He said an all-parties conference was being planned to discuss the issue of new provinces, while the proposed joint opposition platform would also hold consultations on parliamentary sessions and the issue of prisoners.
"The first meeting today was encouraging and will continue in the future," he said.
Gohar separately said the opposition wanted broader political consultations on the country's worsening political and economic conditions.
"We decided that on all national issues, we will take political parties into confidence," he said, adding that "the current law and order situation, the economy, inflation, lawlessness, and the creation of new provinces' issue" called for an all-parties conference.
Meanwhile, according to a statement issued by the Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP), the PTI delegation and the JUI-F chief also discussed "strengthening of the country's constitutional and democratic systems".
"The leaders also discussed the need for mutual consultation and a joint struggle among political parties to uphold the supremacy of the Constitution and the rule of law, and to safeguard democratic principles in the country," the statement added.
JUI-F leader Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri welcomed the PTI delegation and said the consultative ses-sion had also discussed preparations for the proposed all-parties conference.
"We welcome the arrival of the opposition," Haidri said.
He said the meeting covered the creation of provinces and various other national issues, adding that the situation in Balochistan, terrorism and other problems confronting the country would also come under discussion.
"We will try to play some role in dealing with the problems the country is facing," he said.
The latest outreach is part of a broader effort to turn the September 27 mobilisation into a joint opposi-tion campaign. PTI had begun reaching out to opposition parties last month, while on August 20 the TTAP and JUI-F announced plans to form a "united opposition" following consultations on cooperation and future political strategy.
The joint opposition subsequently held its first parliamentary meeting, attended by Fazlur Rehman, Op-position Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri, Go-har and other leaders. The meeting produced an agreement to pursue a collective strategy on political repression, the economic crisis and other national issues.
Achakzai later said he and Raja Nasir had met PTI leaders, including Gohar, and that an all-parties con-ference would be convened "at the earliest". The opposition also agreed to hold a meeting on Septem-ber 15 to review progress on preparations for the APC and decided to contact other political parties "as soon as possible".
Meanwhile, the September 27 protest has remained a firm point of convergence for the opposition. PTI leaders have repeatedly said the march will not be confined to Islamabad and have urged supporters across the country to mobilise.
On the other hand, the planned mobilisation has also become the subject of a legal challenge. A petition has been filed before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the PTI's planned sit-in and nationwide protest, in which the petitioner has contended that the protest could disrupt routine life, traffic and business activity in the capital and questioned the use of provincial resources for the march.
At the same time, the political landscape has seen an unusual parallel track of government-opposition engagement. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has invited Achakzai for consultations on the appointment of a new chief election commissioner, an overture that comes only days before the PTI-led September 27 march.