- Achakzai-led opposition alliance’s meeting urges government to convene joint Parliament session on security
- Warns centre against any interference in KP affairs could worsen the province’s instability
- PML-N’s Irfan Siddiqui slams TTAP for ignoring terrorists and maligning security forces
ISLAMABAD: The Tehreek-e-Tahafuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP)—a multi-party opposition alliance—on Sunday called for resolving the escalating Pakistan–Afghanistan tensions through dialogue, urging the government to convene a joint session of Parliament to take the nation into confidence on regional security and foreign policy matters.
In a statement issued after a high-level meeting in Islamabad, the alliance said, “It is time for prudence and sagacity to take charge to resolve the prevailing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan through dialogue and understanding.”
The meeting, chaired by Mahmood Khan Achakzai, reviewed the overall political and foreign situation and discussed the opposition’s future strategy. Those in attendance included PTI’s Salman Akram Raja and Asad Qaiser, Awam Pakistan’s Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Muhammad Zubair, Allama Ahmed Iqbal Rizvi, Sajid Tareen, Zain Shah, Hussain Ahmed Yousafzai, and Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry.
The TTAP said that issues between the two neighboring countries should be settled peacefully through talks, warning that further escalation could harm Pakistan’s security and economic stability. It urged the federal government to brief Parliament on the situation and build a consensus-based national approach.
Turning to domestic concerns, the alliance strongly criticized the federal government’s alleged interference in the constitutional process of power transfer in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), warning that such moves could further destabilise the already fragile province.
It also condemned the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to declare KP Assembly members “independent” ahead of the chief minister’s election, terming it “undemocratic and conducive to horse-trading.” The alliance said the step undermined parliamentary integrity and the democratic process.
The TTAP further expressed concern over the resurgence of terrorism and unrest in Balochistan and KP, urging state institutions to coordinate with provincial governments and citizens to restore peace and stability.
PML-N response
Reacting to the statement, PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui termed the TTAP’s remarks “shameful and deeply regrettable,” saying the alliance had failed to condemn terrorists or their facilitators at a critical time.
He accused the group of maligning security institutions, saying that labeling them discredited reflected a “shallow mindset” about those who had sacrificed their lives for Pakistan’s defense.
Siddiqui further said that the same KP government the TTAP wanted consulted had “nurtured terrorists and turned the province into a safe haven.”
