Leaders of the Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) announced on Friday that they would stage protests against the emergency and governor’s rule imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which they described as unconstitutional and illegal. Speaking at a news conference in Peshawar alongside leaders of other opposition parties, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly and chairman of the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, said the alliance had also challenged the measures in the Peshawar High Court.
The federal government imposed the emergency and governor’s rule on October 11. Government figures have repeatedly pointed to the provincial government’s alleged unwillingness to cooperate in the fight against terrorism, along with worsening law and order, as reasons for the decision. The PTI-led provincial government has been the focus of those claims.
Opposition pledges peaceful movement and offers talks
A day after governor’s rule took effect, Achakzai announced a public and democratic struggle against the move, while saying his alliance was ready to hold talks to settle political disputes. Speaking outside Parliament House in Islamabad with other opposition leaders, he said the alliance was prepared for negotiations aimed at building a “democratic Pakistan”.
He also promised that the movement would remain peaceful. According to him, its members would not abuse anyone, open fire or throw stones.
Achakzai alleges manipulation in the 2024 elections
At Friday’s news conference, Achakzai alleged that power had been seized through money and force during the 2024 general elections. He claimed a range of tactics had been used to keep the PTI out of office, including taking away its election symbol.
Despite those measures, he said, the party had won more than 97 National Assembly seats. He added that its strength in the lower house later shrank after cases and convictions were brought against candidates who had been elected.
Demands over resources, water and detained leaders
Achakzai said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the former tribal areas had a right to the region’s natural resources. Local communities, he said, should be taken into confidence before minerals were extracted or agreements over those resources were signed, and residents should receive a share of the benefits.
He further argued that people living along rivers should have the first claim on water, saying farmers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could not access water in their own areas. “Pashtuns built Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Lahore and Karachi,” he said, adding that they were nevertheless not considered good Pakistanis.
Achakzai urged all political parties to set aside their differences and unite in demanding an end to governor’s rule. He also called for the detained provincial chief minister and members of the provincial assembly to be brought before the public. Stressing the need to protect Pakistan’s sovereignty and survival, he said all state institutions should remain within the roles assigned to them by the Constitution.
