ISLAMABAD: The opposition alliance’s national conference on Saturday asserted that a nation of 250 million people cannot be subjugated by force, underscoring the need to return to the Constitution and the rule of law.
The two-day conference, held under the aegis of Tehreek Tahaffuz Aiyeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in the federal capital, saw a number of key leaders speak on the national state of affairs.
Titled “Protection of the Consensus Constitution; The Need of the Hour and a Way Forward through Collective Wisdom,” the conference saw TTAP head Mahmood Khan Achakzai extend an olive branch to political rivals. He urged leading politicians like Nawaz Sharif and Maulana Fazlur Rehman to come forward and play their role in dialogue at this critical juncture in Pakistan’s history.
“We are ready for a democratic dialogue. Let’s bring the country out of the crises. Let’s forgive each other; we forgive. We are ready for dialogue, but the first prerequisite is allowing party leaders and family members to meet with Imran Khan,” he contended.
Achakzai, who is also the chairman of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, pointed out that while meetings with Imran Khan are being restricted despite court orders, those attempting to meet him with court orders in hand face state violence and legal cases. “This is an outright injustice,” he said.
He stressed that any talks must clarify with whom they would be held, on what points, and under what conditions. Achakzai lamented that the Constitution and the law have been “torn to shreds” in the country, insisting that the only way forward is through the supremacy of parliament and adherence to the Constitution.
“The current situation in the country is such that the Constitution and the law have been torn to shreds, and raising one’s voice against it is the responsibility of every conscious citizen,” he maintained.
Achakzai emphasized that all political forces must rise above temporary party interests and think seriously about formulating a consensus course of action to steer the country toward stability, rule of law and constitutional supremacy.
Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen Chairman and TTAP Vice Chairman Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri noted in his speech that power is everything in the country today, and “might is right” policy has been implemented.
“The people are being oppressed through parliament, judiciary and police. Innocent people are being killed, and alleged police encounters have become a routine. Both the people and parliament have been made irrelevant. What is seen in Pakistan today is ruins,” he claimed.
He contended that while the state and its integrity are under threat, the worst inflation has made life unbearable for the people, yet decisions continue to be made that cause them more hardship.
Jafri claimed that 90 percent of Pakistanis currently support Imran Khan, and “whoever is against him today is actually standing with these powerful people.” He maintained that attempts to disappoint the people are a sign of the rulers’ cowardice and fear, adding, “Those who fight their own people can never succeed.”
He regretted that public trust in the Pakistani system has completely disappeared and that the country is being run without its people, with decisions and agreements made abroad having no public standing.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan claimed that a “martial law” has been imposed in the country. He stated that when courts cannot do justice, judges cannot protect themselves and civilians cannot get protection before judges in open court, the judiciary becomes irrelevant. “How can judges maintain the supremacy of law and the Constitution when they cannot protect themselves?” he wondered.
Regarding the convictions of PTI leaders, Gohar stated that their party leadership was convicted on Friday and sentenced to around 70 years in total, with more verdicts expected. “The leadership’s sentence will be 70 years in total, while Bushra Bibi and Khan’s sentences will total 60 years. Seven cases against the PTI leadership are pending. If they are sentenced to 10 years in each of them, their total sentence will reach 140 years,” he explained.
“Till what time will these sentences be issued? Every day, we hope that we will walk towards a path where the masses will get justice. Judges are no longer safe. Judges of civil courts, district courts, high courts and the Supreme Court are not safe,” he lamented.
The PTI chairman remarked that they were expecting 2026 to bring new hope and a new path, but unfortunately, some people were blocking the way for the masses. “I appeal to them not to bar the way for the masses. When leaders don’t do that, the masses will find the way on their own,” he cautioned.
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja insisted that their struggle is not for power. “We have to fight for principles, not power. We have to move forward together; we are with the poor whose voice is not heard,” he said. He noted that 60 percent of the country’s children do not have access to clean water, and 40 percent suffer from poor growth. Sardar Akhtar Mengal, who heads the Balochistan National Party, asked whether those in top posts who had previously benefited from the Toshakhana were ever punished.
Jamaat-e-Islami vice emir Liaquat Baloch said that political parties, media and civil society must unite on a national agenda to extricate the country from its multiple crises. “We will have to move forward through peaceful political struggle. At least among the national priorities is to protect the agreed Constitution,” he underlined.
Former senator Afrasiab Khattak noted that after the 26th and 27th constitutional amendments, Pakistan is now in a post-1973 constitutional period, regretting that the 1973 Constitution, in its original form, is no more. He termed the incumbent assembly ‘illegitimate’ and without rights. “A constituent assembly only has the mandate to change the basic characteristics of the Constitution,” he remarked.
He contended that the eras of Zia and Musharraf had proven that the masses cannot be suppressed, adding that 250 million people will be the ultimate winners.
Former minister and senior politician Javed Hashmi emphasised launching a sustained, peaceful political struggle, claiming that presently there is neither a constitution nor law in the country, with the people and parliament made irrelevant.
He predicted a public uprising in the face of injustices, such as police forcing their way into the residences of innocent people. “When people rise, none could stop them. The sacrifices of scholars and political workers are part of history,” he noted.
Various political leaders participated in the conference on its first day, including Asad Qaiser, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Mohsin Dawar, Safdar Abbasi, Zain Shah, former Senator Mushtaq Ahmed, as well as journalists, lawyers and other representatives from civil society. A resolution was specially adopted to condemn the latest conviction of Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi.
