Akhundzada Hussain, spokesperson for TTAP. Photo: file
LAHORE:
Tehreek-e-Tahafuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) will hold its second meeting on Monday (today) to finalize arrangements for February 8, as indications emerge of a tactical shift from street agitation to more calibrated means of recording protests, according to sources within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The evolving approach comes amid increased state surveillance and internal assessments of mobilization capacity, prompting the alliance to reassess how best to mark the anniversary of the general election, which it says was marred by widespread fraud.
Although the February 8 date remains central to TTAP’s political message, sources suggest the method of protest is still closely monitored.
TTAP spokesperson Akhundzada Hussain, speaking to The Express PK Press Club, confirmed that a meeting of the TTAP leadership would be held at Mehmood Khan Achakzai’s residence around 2 p.m. to finalize the plan for the February 8 mass protest against fraud allegations.
Asked about the apparent change in approach, he said that for now, mass protests and rallies were indeed not on the agenda, although the final decision rested with TTAP leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai.
Asked if this meant there would be no activity on the streets and roads, he said they would “keep the plan close to their chest”.
He added that given the regressive precautionary measures taken by the state against the PTI in a bid to curb their plans, they could not afford to make everything public in advance.
Akhundzada said at this stage their focus was on wheel locks and shutter locks across the country.
He added that whatever plan was finalized, the decision was made to put the “wheels in motion” a day before “D-Day”.
He said that this would be the second meeting on February 8 and would be attended by TTAP chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai, PTI chief advocate Gohar, Salman Akram Raja, Allama Raja Nasir, Muhammad Zubair and Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar.
A source within the PTI said that, as yet, no street movements had been prepared, indicating a change in policy or, more bluntly, an awareness of the depletion of ground support worthy of mobilization.
“We have the entire public opinion behind us, the entire country knows the election was rigged, so what,” he said, adding that public opinion does not matter in today’s power equation.
He said the point was that PTI wanted to see what Achakzai had planned for February 8, because “it will be his show now, not just PTI’s.”
The PTI, he said, would be a member.
He added that Mehmood Khan Achakzai’s real use was not to lead a street movement but to find a way out of the “impasse” in which the PTI was stuck.
The source said adopting a safer route on February 8 would be a wise decision and the focus should instead be on backdoor engagement to provide political space for the PTI.
He said the protests in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone would not amount to much, while any attempt at street movement in Punjab could have catastrophic results, given what he called the state’s unbridled use of anti-party power.
