The Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) on Thursday announced that it was suspending all negotiations with the government, saying there would be “no talks” until a meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan was arranged and information about his health was provided.
The alliance, in a statement, said all negotiating authority would rest solely with its chairman, Mehmood Khan Achakzai.
The announcement was made at a leadership meeting held at Achakzai’s residence, where the political situation arising from the imposition of governor’s rule and an emergency in KP, as well as the situation in the province, was reviewed in detail.
In the days preceding the development, political tensions between the federal government and the opposition, mainly the PTI, had remained high after the party announced a long march to demand the release of its jailed founder, Imran Khan. However, the march, initially planned for Islamabad, remained confined to KP until it fizzled out with the imposition of governor’s rule in the province.
The alliance strongly condemned the imposition of governor’s rule and an emergency in KP, describing the move as a “robbery” and a midnight assault on the Constitution and the people’s mandate.
It demanded that the decision be withdrawn immediately, saying the step was not only an insult to the people of one province but to those of all provinces. The statement added that the alliance would also file a petition against the decision in the Peshawar High Court (PHC).
The TTAP also condemned all forms of terrorism, including state terrorism against the public, actions by state institutions against political parties, and violence by one sect against another.
Expressing full support for the National Action Plan, the opposition alliance demanded that, instead of adopting new policies, the joint resolution of the Aman Jirga approved by the KP Assembly be implemented immediately.
The participants also demanded the immediate release of non-functional Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, PTI provincial president Junaid Akbar, and all arrested members of the National and provincial assemblies and other leaders.
The PTI had reported their detention on Oct 11, shortly after the Centre imposed emergency and governor’s rule in the province.
The alliance also demanded the release of Imran Khan’s sisters, who have been in detention for nearly three weeks under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, as well as a meeting with the PTI founder and access to his doctors.
The TTAP attributed the deteriorating law and order situation in Balochistan to the unrepresentative provincial government and the federal government’s failed policies, saying the provincial government had not been formed on the basis of the people’s genuine mandate. It called for the province’s issues to be resolved through dialogue with its people rather than the use of force.
The alliance also announced plans to approach international human rights organisations and the United Nations over what it described as restrictions on judicial independence, media curbs and violations of human rights and the Constitution.
Emergency over terrorism concerns
On Sunday, the federal government imposed emergency under Article 232 and governor’s rule under Article 234.
The decision came during a meeting of the federal cabinet, which deliberated on the security situation in PTI-led KP and noted the provincial government’s “deliberate disengagement from the fight against terrorism”.
Subsequently, the prime minister sent a summary to the president, who approved the move.
Soon after, the Centre also authorised the deployment of Pakistan Army troops and assets in aid of civil power in KP. On the ground, shipping containers were placed around the city of Peshawar to block several roads, with heavy police deployment.
Meanwhile, federal ministers alleged that the PTI-led government in KP had a “nexus” with terrorist groups, as the Centre sought to explain that the province’s security situation necessitated the imposition of emergency there.
On Monday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar defended the governor’s rule, saying it was not politically motivated but instead taken to curb terrorism.
The Centre and the PTI have been at odds over various issues, particularly on the counterterrorism policy, which was one of the main reasons behind the breakdown of their October 3 talks.
The PTI has said it was being left out of security decisions concerning KP, which the Centre has denied. It also calls for reviewing the counterterrorism policy and opposes military operations.
On the other hand, the Centre has been criticising the KP government’s efforts to combat terrorism in the province and objects to its stance on dialogue with the Afghan Taliban.