Opposition accuses govt of ‘suppressing’ its conference – Pakistan

• Venue ‘cancels’ permission for second day of moot organised by ‘grand opposition alliance’
• Khaqan Abbasi accuses current regime of derailing democracy, judicial system
• Says countries don’t function ‘when political parties abandon their principles’
• Achakzai vows to hold govt accountable; PFUJ head says parties suppress media when in power

ISLAMABAD: The opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz-i-Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) on Wednesday accused the government of pressuring an Islamabad hotel’s administration to revoke permission for the second day of its two-day conference, which was being held at the venue, but vowed to proceed with the event.

The two-day moot kicked off in the capital at the Legend Hotel, where opposition parties gathered to discuss issues related to constitutional breaches, human rights violations, freedom of speech and political instability in the country.

Speaking on the first day of the conference, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who has formed his own Awaam Pakistan party after quitting PML-N, criticised the current government for derailing democracy and the judicial system.

He lamented that PML-N and PPP had previously shared the same views held by the opposition alliance but changed their stance after gaining power.

“This is unfortunate because when those running the political system sell their conscience and when political parties abandon their principles, such countries don’t function. These are evident facts in Pakistan today,” he said.

“Today, there is no permission to even talk. Laws are being made to stop people from talking and to dismantle the judicial system,” he said, apparently referring to the recently promulgated Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act 2025, also known as Peca.

After talks between the government and the opposition collapsed in January, the PTI made another push to establish a joint front against the federal government and roped in Mr Abbasi to become part of its anti-government movement.

Referring to the ruling coalition, Mr Abbasi said that those who championed democracy in the past were now more invested in political power, calling out the authorities for making it difficult to arrange the moot.

“Now, their government is not even allowing a conference related to the Constitution to be held behind closed doors in the nation’s capital,” he said, adding that three venues of the conference had to be changed as the authorities did not allow holding the conference there.

“We are thankful to lawyers for providing this space today. We tried other places as well, including the institutions, but today, the government is so scared that even a conference on the Constitution is not possible,” Mr Abbasi said.

‘Illegitimate assembly’

TTAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai vowed to hold the government accountable, calling the current assembly illegitimate. He lamented that the benefits of independence had not reached the public even after 70 years, rendering the general public powerless in decision-making.

Mr Achakzai shared that he had been imprisoned multiple times for supporting democratic principles but continued to stand by his country. He criticised the Feb 8 general elections held last year as rigged and stressed that upholding the Constitution was crucial for the country’s stability.

Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) President Afzal Butt accused political parties of advocating for press freedom while in opposition but suppressing the media once in power. He urged opposition parties to pledge not to repeat this pattern.

Journalist Asma Shirazi pointed out that certain figures within the opposition were also responsible for spreading fake news.

PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, Sunni Ittehad Council head Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen chief Nasir Shirazi and other political leaders also attended the conference.

Permission for conference

Last week, the opposition alliance announced plans for a two-day national conference “to discuss the current political situation and national issues”. The announcement was made by Mr Abbasi and Mr Achakzai at a joint press conference.

However, on Wednesday, opposition leaders accused the government of pressuring Legend Hotel to cancel the second day of the conference, but they vowed to proceed with the event.

Addressing a presser after the conference alongside other opposition leaders, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi claimed that the event’s agenda focused solely on the Constitution and the rule of law, with no discussion of anti-state activities or incitement.

He said that opposition members informed the hotel management that they had booked the venue for two days and demanded written clarification if the conference was cancelled under pressure.

Hitting out at a PML-N supplement published in Wednesday’s newspapers, he said its reality was that the government spending “billions on advertisements is today fearful of a single conference”.

Speaking after Mr Abbasi, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan praised the content of Wednesday’s discussions on the conference’s first day.

He said everyone talked about strengthening the country, adding that everyone gathered was of a democratic mindset. “We are talking to strengthen the country, and here, the hotel administration came to us and expressed their desperation that they are under pressure. Questioned about whose pressure, they said: ‘You must know since you are wise people.’”

Offshore assets

Meanwhile, reacting to a report by the Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen), PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram questioned the prospects of foreign investment in Pakistan, given that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif allegedly held more assets abroad than in Pakistan.

He argued that this sent a negative message to the international community about the safety and viability of investments in Pakistan. Akram accused the ruling elite of seizing power without public mandate and alleged they would flee the country at the first sign of losing power.

Mr Akram said the successive governments led by the Sharif and Zardari dynasties had drained Pakistan’s economy through unchecked corruption, money laundering and cronyism, stressing that Pakistan stood at the brink of financial collapse.

He demanded immediate accountability for these crimes against the people of Pakistan and urged authorities concerned to investigate foreign assets and wealth of Pakistan’s ruling elite, particularly the Sharif and Zardari families, seeking the repatriation of “stolen money” to the national treasury.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2025