ISLAMABAD: The opposition alliance Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP) is weighing plans to launch a nationwide protest movement beginning on August 5, with consultations continuing among member parties to finalise the strategy and schedule.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, TTAP spokesperson Akhunzada Hussain Syed said the proposal was presented by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan during a consultative meeting held on Thursday. According to him, the suggested date coincides with the completion of three years since former prime minister Imran Khan’s conviction, making it a symbolic point for the alliance’s planned campaign.
Syed said alliance leaders are considering different options for the protest drive. These include organising simultaneous demonstrations in various cities across the country or holding a single large public gathering. He added that no final decision has yet been made, as consultations among coalition partners are still underway.
The TTAP spokesperson also outlined the alliance’s immediate political engagements ahead of the proposed protest campaign. He said Mahmood Khan Achakzai and other senior alliance leaders are scheduled to visit Balochistan on Sunday to meet demonstrators, review the prevailing situation, and express solidarity with protesters.
Following the Balochistan visit, the alliance also intends to travel to Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), where an earlier attempt by opposition leaders to enter the region was reportedly blocked. Syed said the proposed visit aims to engage with local stakeholders and assess the political environment before deciding on further action.
Meanwhile, PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram reaffirmed that his party fully supports the alliance’s position regarding the planned protest movement. He said PTI and TTAP remain united on both the objectives of the campaign and the issues being raised.
Addressing questions about the apparent timing mismatch between the alliance’s demand to postpone the AJK Legislative Assembly elections and the proposed nationwide protest beginning on August 5, Akram clarified that PTI has already decided not to participate in the electoral process.
“We have boycotted the elections. We are not taking part in these elections,” he said.
When asked what steps the alliance would take if the AJK elections proceed on July 27 as scheduled, Akram said the decision regarding any future course of action would be made collectively by the TTAP leadership after reviewing the political situation.
