QUETTA
\nAfter a late-night sitting that continued till the early hours of Saturday morning, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan announced a countrywide movement for the rule of law by a coalition of six opposition parties, under the banner of Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP).
\nThe movement will not only hold public meetings, starting from Pishin today (on Saturday), but also engage bar associations, university students and other parties for mustering their support for the campaign against the PML-N-led coalition government.
\nThe PTI secretary general said that Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai was nominated as president of the six parties\u2019 alliance with consensus of the leadership of opposition parties at the hours-long meeting, which was presided over by BNP-M chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal.
\nHe said the movement was being launched against alleged massive rigging in the February 8 elections, with an aim to protect the constitution and resorting rule of law. The alliance rejected the \u2018government\u2019 established by tampering with the election result.
\nBesides the PTI secretary general, Mr Mengal and Mr Achakzai, Sunni Ittehad Council chairman Sahib\u00adzada Hamid Raza Khan, Majlis Wahdat Muslimeen Chairman Raja Nasir Abbas and Jamaat-i-Islami leader Liaquat Baloch also attended the meeting.
\nMr Ayub said the meeting rejected increase in gas and electricity rates, which made it difficult for the people to earn their livelihoods. \u201cAll political parties have joined the opposition alliance of their own will in view of the deteriorating situation in all fields,\u201d he said.
\nAddressing the press conference, Mr Achakzai said, \u201cNone of us is against the army. We have objections to its political role.\u201d He said none of the allies had breached the constitution.
\n\u201cThe Constitution is a social contract and we will start public meetings from Saturday for its protection,\u201d Mr Achakzai said. He also believed there should be no extension in the service of any civil and military officer.
\nJI\u2019s Liaquat Baloch said the people had been pushed against the wall as their mandate was not being accepted. He said, \u201cI agree with the decision and announcement of the alliance meeting and we will give our stance after the meeting of Jamaat\u2019s Shura.\u201d
\nAllama Raja Nasir Abbas said that with the support of the masses, they would struggle for the rule of law.
\nAt an earlier presser, the PTI secretary general had announced a public meeting in Pishin on Saturday (today), which will be addressed by the leaders of all the six opposition parties.
\nMr Ayub said the protest movement would be initiated from Balochistan and later expanded to other parts of the country.
\nJUI-F inclusion?
\nIn response to a question about the potential involvement of JUI-F in the protest movement, Mr Ayub said the matter would be discussed further in upcoming meetings of the alliance. He criticised the election results which he claimed originally showed PTI securing 180 seats in the National Assembly, a victory he said was overturned by manipulations involving Form 47, an official electoral document. \u201cOur protest will continue until the peoples\u2019 mandate is restored in PTI\u2019s favour,\u201d he said.
\nThe PTI leader slammed the current administration under President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, labelling them as products of Form 47. He said their government did not represent the people of the country as \u201cthey have rejected the parties sitting in the government\u201d.
\nMr Ayub expressed concerns about Pakistan\u2019s deteriorating investment climate and increasing unemployment and attributed these to the lack of rule of law. He highlighted the need to restore investor confidence through legal and constitutional reforms. \u201cInvestment will come when there is a rule of law,\u201d he said.
\nHe said the PTI was not allowed to hold election meetings. \u201cOur leader was sent to jail on false cases, but they failed to keep the people from supporting Imran Khan,\u201d he said.
\nMr Ayub emphasised PTI\u2019s commitment to regional development, particularly in Balochistan, where the party had previously initiated substantial projects. He lamented that these initiatives have stalled since the \u201cregime change\u201d, a reference to Imran Khan\u2019s April 2022 ouster.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
QUETTA After a late-night sitting that continued till the early hours of Saturday morning, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan announced a countrywide movement for the rule of law by a coalition of six opposition parties, under the banner of Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP). The movement will not only hold public meetings, starting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":400012,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-400000","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national"},"yoast_head":"\n