ISLAMABAD(National Times)- The Tehreek Tahafuz-i-Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP) on Monday hinted at starting a movement against the incumbent government, with hopes that Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman may lead it.
Last week, opposition leaders and JUI-F agreed to strengthen their alliance and parliamentary coordination amid recent tensions between the latter and the federal government.
Fazl has been critical of the federal government over the imposition of governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He has accused the Centre of reneging on its commitments amid his efforts to mediate between the federal and KP governments.
Since mid-October, the veteran politician and key federal ministers have also made harsh remarks against each other, after Fazl accused the Centre of depriving the provinces of their rights.
Speaking to Dawn, TTAP spokesperson Akhundzada Hussain Ahmed Yousufzai warned that it had become apparent that JUI-F would “meet the same fate as PTI”.
“It is a war between democratic and undemocratic powers and TTAP will stand by the democratic people,” the TTAP spokesperson said, adding: “We will always support those who are being suppressed.”
Replying to a question, Yousufzai said that during a recent meeting between JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza and TTAP leaders, it was agreed in principle to gather on one platform.
“It was also decided that soon we will hold a multiparty conference (MPC), so a movement can be started against the government after that.
“We hope that Maulana Fazlur Rehman will be one of the figures who will be leading the movement,“ he said.
On Oct 16, without naming anyone, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had claimed that a “head of a party” was “extremely upset over being denied a role in the new setup in KP and not getting the governorship”.
The next day, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and State Minister for Interior Tallal Chaudhry rebuked Fazl directly, who later clarified his criticism was aimed at policies, not state institutions.
The row played out in the Parliament as well, where Fazl questioned Asif’s absence and Naqvi’s presence at a meeting of the Makkah pact countries and Iran in Tehran.
In his response the next day, the interior minister explained his participation and went on to assail the JUI-F for “continuously crossing the line” and accused it of “extracting wealth from the state”.
On Friday, JUI-F staged protests in different parts of Sindh and Balochistan, decrying what it called a “coordinated character assassination campaign” against its leader.
The JUI-F chief had hinted at launching street agitation while addressing a workers’ convention in Mansehra earlier this month.
Fazl urged workers to stand firmly with him as he prepared to launch a street agitation. “I see you as the strongest force in the country. You must stand firm against oppression and adversity, as activists of no other party dare to stand up at this critical juncture,” he said at the event.
‘Political dialogue, not personal attacks’
In a separate statement, the TTAP claimed that “disgraceful, derogatory and baseless allegations were being levelled against a distinguished religious scholar, senior politician and respected national political figure”, terming the allegations as “deeply regrettable, shameful and highly condemnable”.
“Political differences are the beauty of any democratic society; however, targeting someone’s honour, dignity, character and family under the pretext of political disagreement is not only contrary to religious, moral and social traditions but also pushes politics further into the depths of hatred, discord and division.
“Differences of opinion must be addressed through arguments, logic and political dialogue rather than character assassination, slander and personal attacks. Such a disgraceful and organised campaign must be stopped immediately, and those involved must abandon this reprehensible practice,“ it stated.
The opposition alliance also paid tribute to the JUI-F chief for his stance against the governor’s rule and emergency in KP.
The statement said that the important constitutional and democratic questions raised by Fazl and his party on the matter should be addressed by the government through “reason, constitutional arguments and the rule of law instead of resorting to character assassination and pressure tactics”.
“No political leader can be compelled to abandon a principled position through pressure, threats or organised character assassination.”
“Measures such as governor’s rule and emergency in KP are contrary to the spirit of provincial autonomy, the people’s mandate and parliamentary democracy, raising serious constitutional and democratic questions,” the statement said.
“The TTAP will vigorously oppose these measures at every constitutional, political, parliamentary and legal forum and continue to highlight their constitutional and democratic implications before the public,“ it stated.
In its statement, the TTAP also expressed “deep concern and regret” over the suspension of hearings by the Peshawar High Court (PHC) in cases filed under Article 199 of the Constitution following the decision of the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC).
The statement said that closing the doors of justice to citizens and political workers who had approached the PHC was “extremely alarming”.
It emphasised that the fundamental responsibility of the judiciary was to protect citizens’ fundamental rights and examine state actions in the light of the Constitution and the law.
It demanded that the complete medical reports of PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi — following the medical tests conducted at Adiala jail yesterday — be made public immediately to address the concerns and apprehensions surrounding their health.
The TTAP also demanded that the government ensure full and immediate implementation of the Supreme Court’s decision regarding Imran’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital and the provision of medical treatment in the presence of his personal physicians.
