Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
An alliance of opposition parties – the Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Ain Pakistan (TTAP) – has demanded an independent investigation into allegations of fraud in the February 8, 2024 general elections.
The alliance also called for immediate appointment of an impartial chief election commissioner and holding of free and fair elections under a new Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The TTAP also announced that February 8, 2026 would be celebrated nationwide as a black day, marked by wheel traffic jam and roller shutter strike across the country.
To organize public awareness and protest movement, a central committee headed by Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar has been formed, which will establish subcommittees at the provincial and district levels.
The announcement was made in a statement issued following a two-day national consultative conference organized by TTAP.
According to the statement, representatives of political parties, civil society, lawyers, journalists and people of various schools of thought from across the country participated in the conference.
The conference held in-depth deliberations on the overall political, constitutional, judicial and economic situation in the country and unanimously concluded that democracy, the Constitution and the rule of law face serious threats.
The statement said that transparent and free elections are the foundation of democracy, but that the current system is based on illegitimate foundations and lacks public trust.
Condemning allegations of systematic fraud in the February 8, 2024 elections, the conference demanded the identification of those responsible and their punishment in accordance with the law.
Expressing serious concerns over the independence of the judiciary, the statement said judicial autonomy has been weakened by the 26th and 27th constitutional amendments, using transfers of judges as a tool of pressure.
The conference termed the cases against PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, as false and politically motivated, and condemned the sentences meted out to them. It describes the treatment of Imran Khan’s sisters, the use of chemical water cannons and the arrests as serious human rights violations.
The conference demanded the immediate release of all political prisoners, including Imran Khan.
The conference expressed concern over non-transparent statements regarding possible participation of Pakistani armed forces in a peace force in Gaza, demanding that the nation be taken into confidence before any such decision, warning that unilateral decisions would be unacceptable.
Regarding the economic situation, the press release indicates that political instability has plunged the economy into a serious crisis.
