ISLAMABAD:
Major opposition parties, including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), are preparing protests on February 8 to mark the second anniversary of general elections, but a united opposition front appears elusive as key parties announced separate agitation plans on Monday.
Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP), a major opposition alliance in which the PTI is a major stakeholder, held a meeting in Islamabad with its leader and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Mahmood Khan Achakzai in the chair.
The meeting was called to fine-tune the strategy for the February 8 protest. Separately, Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam (F) also revealed its plans for the day.
What emerged from Monday’s developments was that the TTAP appears to have opted for a one-day protest rather than a prolonged anti-government campaign, lending weight to reports that the announcement of Achakzai as the leader of the opposition in the lower house may steer the PTI away from a politics of disruption.
After presiding over the meeting, the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) chairman confirmed to reporters that the February 8 protest would be a one-day affair.
“The public is only requested to cooperate peacefully for one day against these repressive policies and to exercise their constitutional right to protest,” Achakzai said, indicating that the opposition alliance was not seeking confrontation with the government.
The TTAP chief said the protest call would include a “complete shutdown strike” on February 8, adding that the opposition alliance would begin reaching out to shopkeepers, transporters and other stakeholders for cooperation.
While TTAP has no plans to launch a longer protest on February 8, Achakzai hinted at the possibility of a broader campaign against the government.
“This is just the beginning and in the next phase TTAP can appeal to all its workers and political parties to be ready for a Jail Bharo movement,” he said.
TTAP has already called for a nationwide strike on February 8 to mark the second anniversary of what it claims were fraudulent elections and observe it as a “black day”.
The development comes amid recent efforts to open dialogue between the government and opposition parties.
“We waited for the bluff dialogue call from the government, but there has been no contact from their side. We cannot just sit and do nothing; we have no other way but to fight oppression,” TTAP spokesperson Akhunzada Hussain Yousufzai told The Express Pakinomist.
Meanwhile, the JUI-F also declared February 8 as a black day against what it described as the controversial and worst rigged general election of 2024.
JUI-F spokesperson Aslam Ghauri said nationwide protests would be held on February 8 with a central rally in Rawalpindi where the party chief would address the participants. He added that full-scale protests would also be organized in all provincial headquarters.
Asked whether the JUI-F would join TTAP for February 8 protests, Ghauri told The Express Pakinomist: “We have been part of the opposition but not once PTI or TTAP have taken us into confidence regarding February 8 protests. We are doing our protest separately so far.”
“We want them to come and sit with us so that together we can discuss the supremacy of the constitution. We have already endured hardships for the supremacy of the constitution, even during Zia’s era when we faced beatings. So if they contact us, then it can be considered how to take the protest further,” he added.
Ghauri also lashed out at the government, saying it should be held accountable not only for the rigged election but also for issues related to Trump’s peace council and to be stopped from making laws that go against the Quran and Sunnah.
Criticizing Achakzai’s announcement regarding the jail Bharo Tehreek (Judicial Arrest Movement), he said that the PTI could launch as many campaigns as it wanted – whether it was the court arrest drive or otherwise – but ultimately negotiations would have to take place.
“Whoever is at the table, the discussion must take place at the table.”
TTAP, on the other hand, welcomed JUI-F’s announcement of a protest call. “We welcome this announcement. We will meet with all political parties in the coming days to coordinate and try to convince them to protest from a single platform,” the alliance’s spokesman said.
