LAHORE: A delegation of the Tehreek-i-Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), led by Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and Mahmood Khan Achakzai, reached Minar-i-Pakistan on Saturday evening, where the alliance was expected to pass a formal resolution. However, local authorities sealed all entrances to the historic site, preventing supporters from entering the grounds.
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The TTAP leadership is in Lahore to mobilise public support for a broader opposition-led street movement. Earlier in the day, Abbas and Achakzai addressed a press conference at the Lahore Press Club alongside Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar and Haqooq-e-Khalq Party General Secretary Ammar Ali Jan.
Speaking to reporters, Abbas said the movement aimed at constitutional protection, democratic reforms, safeguarding people’s rights, and the emancipation of marginalised classes. He accused those in power of blocking all peaceful avenues for reform, warning that continued obstruction would inevitably provoke public resistance.
Mahmood Khan Achakzai reiterated his long-standing stance that the Constitution was under threat and Pakistan was facing a deep political crisis. “We are ordinary citizens who love this country,” he said, urging people across political, sectarian, and ethnic lines to stand together. Calling public participation a moral duty, Achakzai said remaining silent in such circumstances was equivalent to a “sin”.
Responding to questions about possible negotiations with the government, Achakzai stressed that the TTAP would not enter into any agreement that compromised national interests.
Ammar Ali Jan announced that his party, along with trade unions and student organisations, had formally joined the TTAP alliance for the restoration of democracy, constitutional supremacy, and national security.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) also urged supporters to gather at Minar-i-Pakistan, where the TTAP leadership is expected to announce its formal resolution. PTI Punjab chief organiser Aliya Hamza Malik called on party workers to reach the venue and demonstrate solidarity.
The delegation had planned visits to Data Darbar and Bibi Pak Daman shrines to pay homage, but earlier attempts were thwarted as authorities blocked roads leading to Data Darbar upon the TTAP’s arrival in Lahore. As a result, the alliance kept subsequent movements low-profile in hopes of avoiding further restrictions.
PTI Punjab also distributed pamphlets across the city to mobilise support for the upcoming street agitation. On Thursday, while leading the TTAP caravan from Islamabad to Lahore, Achakzai appealed for nationwide participation in a wheel-jam and shutter-down strike on February 8, marking the second anniversary of the general elections. He said the protest could also open the door for dialogue with the government.
