Opposition alliance announces APC
The opposition alliance on Friday decided to convene an all-parties conference to help address the country's political and economic crises and declared that its September 27 long march would be a "peaceful, constitutional and democratic" struggle.
According to a statement issued after a meeting chaired by Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Aain Pakistan (TTAP) chief and opposition alliance leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai, the bloc has agreed to bring all democratic political forces onto a single platform to address the country's crises.
Burning issues such as inflation, unemployment, petrol prices and law and order will be made central issues for the September 27 protest, the meeting agreed.
The participants also agreed on the protection of the Constitution, Parliament, the federal system, provincial rights, the National Finance Commission (NFC) and the resources and powers of the provinces.
The meeting was attended by Senate Opposition Leader Allama Nasir Abbas, Balochistan National Party chief Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal, Zain Shah and Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar.
Participants discussed the country's political situation, the ongoing crisis in the Middle East and its impact on Pakistan.
The meeting also deliberated on the law and order situation in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the proposed 28th Amendment and the creation of new provinces.
The participants were briefed on the September 27 protest and the visits of K-P Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to Sindh and Punjab.
The statement said that after all doors to justice had been completely closed, peaceful protest remained the only option.
It said that on September 27, the people's right to rule would be reclaimed through the strength of public support.
The opposition alliance decided to convene an all-parties conference to help end the political and economic crises and called on all democratic political forces to unite on one platform to pull the country out of its difficulties.
Responsibilities and committees have also been assigned for contacting other political parties.
The participants agreed on the protection of the Constitution, Parliament, the federal structure and provincial rights, including the NFC and the resources and powers of the provinces.
The statement maintained that a "non-representative government" had no authority to break up provinces or divide them merely into administrative units, denouncing such proposals as harmful to the federation, the national units and the federal structure.
It further said that provinces could not be deprived of their constitutional rights through a referendum or by any other means.
The meeting particularly stressed maintaining Sindh's existing geographical and administrative status.
On the treatment of PTI founder Imran Khan, the opposition alliance said that instead of implementing the Supreme Court's decision regarding his treatment, the matter had been turned into another crisis. It demanded direct access to the founder and accurate information about his health.
The meeting also expressed concern over severe water shortages in the Indus River system, saying Pakistan's environment, agriculture and the Indus Delta faced serious threats.
The participants demanded that no new canals or water projects be initiated and that controversial projects already under construction be scrapped.
The meeting called for the immediate recovery of forcibly disappeared persons and demanded that the bodies of those missing persons who had died be handed over to their families.
It also called for an end to target killings, fake encounters, extrajudicial killings and death squads.
The opposition alliance condemned raids on the homes of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf workers and their arrests, as well as violations of the sanctity of the "chadar and char deewari" (privacy of home).
The participants agreed on the immediate restoration of border trade and rejection of the Mines and Minerals Act.
They also demanded that the relevant provinces and local populations be taken into confidence before decisions concerning natural resources were made.
The meeting further called for an end to the displacement of civilian populations under the pretext of security operations.
The opposition alliance condemned the treatment meted out to Sohail Afridi during his visit to Punjab.
Inflation, unemployment, petrol prices and the law and order situation were made part of the core agenda for the September 27 protest.
The meeting also supported an effective diplomatic and mediatory role for Pakistan to help bring an end to growing tensions in the region.
The participants condemned the re-arrest of Imaan Mazari following her release.
The statement concluded that the September 27 long march would be a peaceful, constitutional and democratic struggle.