Several leaders of the Opposition parties were barred on Thursday from entering a hotel in Islamabad where they were due to hold further talks as part of the two-day conference regarding prevailing political situation, supremacy of the constitution and rule of law, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, PTI’s Omar Ayub, Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) chief Hamid Raza were stopped from entering the hotel after the authorities deployed paramilitary troops around the conference venue.
The federal capital’s administration has deployed Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel outside the hotel as it hosts the Opposition Grand Alliance conference for the second consecutive day.
The two-day Grand Alliance conference was being held in Islamabad to discuss prevailing political situation, supremacy of the constitution and rule of law.
The Grand Alliance leaders have not yet responded to the deployment of the FC personnel.
Gohar claims huddle has succeeded
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said on Thursday that it was not due to the incompetence of lawyers that former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan and other party leaders were still in jail, but due to the intervention by those who called the shots in the country.
Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, he said it would be wrong to say that the grand alliance of the opposition parties, Tehreek Tahafuz Ayin Pakistan’s (TTAP) conference had failed. “In fact, it has succeeded in its objectives,” he asserted.
“Everybody should bear this thing in mind that the masses have stood up against tyranny. And their voice cannot be stifled,” Gohar said, adding, “There should be independence of judiciary and rule of law in the country.”
PTI chairman further said he had advised that the opposition parties should hold their meeting at the KP House. “But the committee decided to hold it a hotel.”
He went on to say that despite the fact that the rulers spend billions of rupees on getting their pictures printed in newspapers in order to do their publicity, the masses had no respect for them.
Admin did not give permission to TTAP for today’s huddle
On the other hand, it emerged that the Islamabad administration had not given a go-ahead signal to the PTI for today’s conference.
Quoting its sources, 24News TV channel reported that as per the statement given by the hotel manager to the police, the opposition leaders entered the hotel without his permission and occupied one of the halls.
Sources informed that all opposition leaders were expected to be booked in this connection.
On the first day of the conference on Wednesday, Opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz Ain-i-Pakistan had blamed the government of pressuring the Legend Hotel’s administration to revoke permission for the second day of the conference.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad with other opposition leaders beside him yesterday, Awaam Pakistan Party President Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said the conference was aimed at discussions on the country’s issues and the rule of law and the Constitution.
He said there was nothing which was against the state or tantamount to incitement. He said Opposition members talked on the Constitution and the rule of law. “This is the country’s capital where a government is worried by the name of the Constitution and a conference.”
Reporter: Tayyab Saif