The opposition’s highly expected All Parties Conference (APC), set at 26 and 27 February, hit a slope even before it could begin when the organizers claimed that the local administration of Twin Cities threw a screw key in the works by refusing To allow that event until the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 was over.

However, the opposition parties remain effortless and promise to go full steam rather than the conference, which will focus on maintaining supremacy in the Constitution and the rule of law.

They said the event will continue as planned Wednesday and Thursday with a new place to be announced soon.

At a hastily called press conference on Tuesday night, Convenor revealed to the newly registered political party Awam Pakistan, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, that the officials in all the places booked earlier to hold the events have apologized one after the other.

The party’s head said they were pressed by the local administrations to cancel the events.

However, the opposition parties have now decided that the conference will still be held and the final place will soon be communicated. Abbasi was accompanied by Mahmood Khan Achakzai, President of Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, SaHibzada Hamid Raza from Sunni Intehad Council and Sal-Man Akram Raja, Secretary General of Pakistan Tehreek-In-Insaf, among others.

The opposition sees the ongoing political and constitutional crises as a serious threat to democracy. It aims to formulate a common strategy to tackle these challenges and say that the government and local administrations should not be afraid of a closed door meeting discussing the ongoing political, economic and constitutional challenges.

During the press conference, Achakzai continued to say that the opposition would not allow parliament to function smoothly if the opposition’s steps were averted. Raza also noticed no words by saying that the conference would be held at all costs.

Previously, the opposition released the agenda of the national conference on supremacy of the constitution and the rule of law and said they aimed to bring together politicians, legal experts, civil society representatives and media, to discuss the core problems and devise the future course of action.

The agenda stated that the efforts to establish a wealthy and democratic state were repeatedly weakened by the frequent intervention of non-democratic forces, adding that it was further exacerbated by conspiracies, weak political system, corruption and confrontation within the institutions.

The national conference hosted by Abbasi and Achakzai was originally scheduled to take place on atrium, E-11, Islamabad, from 1 p.m. 10 to 18. However, due to a last minute withdrawal of Atrium’s leadership, the event is now held in another place.

Through the agenda, the opposition parties have conveyed that political stability is important for economic progress and that any deviation from constitutional principles weakens democracy. They maintained that APC will act as a platform to build consensus on measures needed to protect the system from constitutional actions.

The agenda says Pakistan’s constitution defines the framework of a sovereign and independent state. Since 1947, it says, the constitution has outlined a complete state system, but challenges in resolving these principles are persistent.

It emphasized that Pakistan passed through a critical time, and it said the country continues to be exposed to constitutional crises, political instability and economic challenges, even after the February 2024 parliamentary elections, claiming the public mandate was violated, And democratic norms were undermined.

“The election not only questions the political process, but about Pakistan’s democratic future,” it read.

Under such circumstances, maintaining constitutional supremacy and the rule of law is crucial, adding that the need for national dialogue and narrative becomes even more critical for collectively managing the country towards stability and progress.

Based on this, it continues that the conference is arranged to mull the country’s direction and provide practical solutions to move on from here. The opposition says that participants will also discuss ways of protecting fundamental rights, promoting transparency in governance and maintaining freedom of speech and the press.

They say the discussion will also highlight the need for a transparent and responsible government that can restore public confidence in institutions. The agenda urges the public to emerge, play their role and put the country back on a democratic path.

Over the past few weeks, the opposition has intensified consultations with different parties and leaders to find viable solutions to the country’s current crises and start a movement against the PML-N government.

Opposition leaders claim that they will not allow democratic values ​​under any circumstances to be undermined. When political tensions escalate, the opposition APC presents a fresh challenge to the government, which further intensifies the already unstable political landscape.

Under the PTI government, the then building parties were also gathered to put pressure on the then government. Later, the opposition parties had successfully executed a confidence against the then Prime Minister Imran Khan, who had paved the way for the PML-N-LED coalition government.