• TTAP announces plans to hold multi-party conference on situation in the province
• Calls on NA speaker to convene special session to discuss the issue
• Alliance resolves to press ahead with Sept 8 protest ‘come what may’

ISLAMABAD: Pressing ahead with plans to hold a long-awaited public meeting on Sept 8, a grand opposition alliance on Wednesday resolved to convene a multi-party conference (MPC) on the deteriorating situation in Balochistan.

A meeting of the Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) also demanded that a sitting of parliament be called to discuss the situation in Balochistan, and asked that details of the meeting of the Apex Committee of the National Action Plan, recently held in Balochistan, be shared with the opposition.

Chaired by PkMAP leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai, the meeting held at Sardar Latif Khosa’s residence was also attended by PTI’s Omar Ayub Khan and Zain Qureshi, MWM Vice Chairman Syed Ahmed Iqbal, BNP-Mengal leader Sajid Tareen, Molana Shujaul Mulk and others.

Former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, sharing the details of the meeting, said that all participants expressed concern over the situation in Balochistan.

The opposition alliance also constituted a committee, headed by Sahibzada Hamid Raza, to convene the MPC.

“We will hold a meeting with the National Assembly speaker and try to convince him to hold a sitting on the situation of the province. An [MPC] on Balochistan should be held so that the concerns of our Baloch brothers can be addressed,” Mr Qaiser said.

He claimed that he spoke about Balochistan on the floor of parliament, but the government did not take any interest, adding that it was this kind of disappointment that led BNP-M chief Akhtar Mengal to announce that he would resign from the assembly.

“It is unfortunate that political actors are being disappointed by parliament. If this continues, there will be no benefit to parliament. I suggest that a sitting should be held over the situation of Balochistan. Otherwise our enemies will take advantage of the situation,” Mr Qaiser said.

The former speaker said it was also decided that the TTAP would hold public meetings across the country and a date for a major countrywide protest will also be decided.

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The issue of the government’s bulldozing of legislation through parliament also came under discussion during the meeting.

While Mr Qaiser said that parliament had been reduced to a mere rubber stamp, senior lawyer Sardar Latif Khosa lamented the government’s misplaced priorities. “People have been suffering because of inflation and price hike, but the government is more interested in constitutional amendment which is triggering concern among the masses,” he said.

“They cannot bring any constitutional amendment because they lack two-thirds majority, so they should stop talking about it.”

Mr Khosa said that three decisions were made in the Mubarak Sani case and PTI had to postpone its public meeting because of the wrong decision of the court. He said that this time, a public meeting would be held on Sept 8, come what may.

“We have established a coordination committee headed by Sahibzada Hamid Raza to hold [the MPC]. I am also member of the committee. We want that the issues should be resolved through an [MPC] as we want to save Pakistan and restore rule of law,” he said.

TTAP chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai said it was encouraging that all parties believed in the supremacy of law.

“So we have decided to discuss the situation with all opposition parties and then call [the MPC]. The committee will start working from Thursday (today). If our demands would not be met, we will be left with no option but to hold countrywide protests,” he said.

Mr Achakzai said they had given Mr Qaiser the task of meeting with National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq to request a session on the Balochistan situation. “It is unfortunate that we have become senseless as we have been laughing despite the situation of Balochistan,” he said.

PTI spokesperson Raoof Hasan said that another public meeting will be held in Lahore on Sept 22, which would be attended by supporters of 12 opposition parties.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2024