Pakistan opposition alliance calls for ‘national dialogue’ to resolve political crisis

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s multi-party opposition alliance on Thursday called on the country’s political leadership to hold a “National Dialogue” to resolve the prevalent political crisis, rejecting the results of the 2024 elections and urging the government to hold free, fair and transparent polls. 

The Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz-i-Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) — or the Movement for the Protection of the Constitution of Pakistan— kicked off its two-day conference on Wednesday to demand “supremacy of the constitution” at a local hotel in Islamabad. The alliance claimed on Wednesday that the government was pressurizing the administration of the hotel to cancel the event, allegations that the government rejected. 

As per local media reports, Islamabad authorities sealed the Legend Hotel where the conference was being held on Thursday morning. Opposition parties’ members forcibly entered the premises after some of them climbed the gate and opened it from inside, allowing others to enter. Subsequently, opposition leaders announced that they would hold the conference in the hotel lobby while police personnel and the paramilitary Frontier Corps personnel remained stationed outside.

Pakistan’s leading opposition parties accuse the ruling coalition government of cracking down on their supporters, resorting to rights abuses, interfering in judicial matters, passing legislation to stifle dissent. It also says the 2024 polls were heavily rigged by the caretaker government at the time. The ruling coalition government rejects these allegations and accuses the opposition of creating hurdles in its mission to reform Pakistan’s economy. 

“The only way forward out of current political crisis, is to go for free, fair & transparent elections, and therefore [alliance] calls for a unified strategy by all political leadership of the country, with their unequivocal support for restoration of democracy, and hence calls for a national dialogue with consensus, in order to implement the solution, across the board,” a joint statement from the TTAP read. 

The alliance said that the results of the “rigged” elections of Feb. 8, 2024, are responsible for the current political, economic and social crisis in the country. 

The statement said Pakistan’s constitution does not allow citizens to be harassed, arrested or imprisoned for taking part in political activities, calling on the government to release all political prisoners immediately. 

The TTAP said Pakistan’s current parliament does not have any moral, political or legal status, demanding the government abolish the recently approved amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) act as they aim to stifle dissent. 

“The opposition parties of Pakistan pledge to continue the collective practical struggle to implement the provisions of this agreement and this struggle will continue until the problems of Pakistan are resolved and the welfare of the people is ensured,” the statement said. 

Leaders from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led by former prime minister Imran Khan, the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), Awam Pakistan, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) parties as well as lawyers, journalists and members of the civil society attended the conference. 

Pakistan has been plagued with political turmoil since Khan was ousted as prime minister via a parliamentary vote in April 2022. He was later convicted in a slew of charges and sent to jail in August 2023. 

Khan denies the charges and says they are politically motivated to keep him and his party away from power. He accuses the country’s powerful military of orchestrating his removal from office and backing his political rivals in the government. 

The military denies Khan’s allegations and insists it does not interfere in political matters.