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January 09, 2026
At Imran’s Zaman Park Residence, TTAP Chief Calls for Protests on February 8
Lahore: Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai on Thursday urged political leaders and workers to take to the streets and observe a complete shutter-down and wheel-jam strike, while talking to reporters outside Imran’s Zaman Park residence.
“Slogans alone will not help release PTI founder Imran Khan from jail, but people rising up on February 8 and bringing the country to a standstill will,” he said.
The TTAP chief — flanked by Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Moeen Riaz Qureshi — was speaking to the media after the arrival of the opposition alliance’s caravan in Lahore.
They faced obstacles such as interference by law enforcement agencies, vandalism of vehicles belonging to party leaders and supporters, and even arrests.
Achakzai said people from Bajaur to KP should come out on the roads on February 8 and participate in the ‘Aman March’, holding black flags to show that they have come out to end oppression and fascism in the country.
He stressed that those who cannot join the rallies should sit in the streets as a mark of protest.
Acknowledging that the police allowed the caravan to reach Lahore, Achakzai urged them to act in the interest of Pakistan and not to satisfy the “ego of one person or family”.
“Obey orders that are aligned with the law,” he stressed, lamenting that it was wrong to attack people for raising slogans.
Answering a question about the dialogue process, Achakzai said the path to dialogue would open when the country shuts down on Feb 8.
“Whom should we engage in dialogue with? They (federal government) snatched our mandate, the courts snatched the PTI’s election symbol, and sentenced political leaders and workers to 10 to 20 years in jail,” he said.
“We have come to Lahore, urging people to join hands, to end the oppression being unleashed against innocent people in the country,” Achakzai added.
“We are not against [Prime Minister] Shehbaz Sharif or [President] Asif Zardari, but we stand against those political parties and state institutions desecrating the Constitution of Pakistan,” he said.
He also regretted that the party, which raised slogans “roti, kapra aur makan” (bread, clothes and a home) was “busy damaging the Constitution through the 26th and 27th Constitutional Amendments”.
“Now people are not getting food, farmers are not getting the due price of their produce, and investors and youth are running out of the country,” the TTAP chief lamented.
Stating that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had also marched on GT Road and raised the slogan “vote ko izzat do” (respect the vote), Achakzai urged the Sharif family to come out on the roads and raise this slogan again.
The TTAP chairman said the country would be saved and progress would be made when the Constitution of Pakistan is restored and justice is dispensed.
Abbas said that no justice could be dispensed without restoring the rule of law in the country. He lamented that the government had ruined institutions and added that he saw lawlessness displayed on the GT Road while travelling to Lahore.
“The incumbent rulers wanted to prolong their rule by terrorizing people,” he claimed, adding that people should stand against oppression and “defeat the fascists”.
“We have come out on the roads to save the country from the fascists,” he said.
PTI Punjab chief organizer Aliya Hamza Malik has instructed the party’s lawyers wing to lodge first information reports against police raids, which violated people’s privacy in their homes and damaged property, including vehicles in police stations.
TTAP convoy reaches Lahore
The TTAP convoy entered Lahore earlier in the day, with the alliance claiming that several of its workers were detained by the Punjab police.
“Despite all the fascism, oppression and barbarism, the caravan of the Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan has successfully reached Lahore,” PTI’s Punjab chapter said on X at 7:32pm.
In a subsequent post , it said the convoy was heading towards the Zaman Park residence of jailed PTI founder Imran Khan, where Achakzai and TTAP Senior Vice-Chairman Allama Raja Nasir Abbas were expected to address the media.
“The Lahore administration has placed containers to shut off [routes to] Data Darbar,” the TTAP said on X.
Workers taken into custody, cars vandalized: TTAP
At 3:34pm, the TTAP claimed “dozens” of workers of the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) — a part of the alliance — were arrested in Lahore, including Senior Vice President Syed Hussain Kazmi.
Dawn has reached out to the police for a comment on TTAP’s claims of PTI and MWM workers being arrested.
The PTI, in a statement condemning the “fascism and oppression by the Punjab police”, also claimed that “multiple members of delegations present peacefully along the route of the caravan” were being taken into custody.
“Peaceful citizens and party workers, who are unarmed and pose no threat of any kind, are being subjected to extremely brutal behavior by the fascist police acting on political orders,” it alleged.
The party further said that the vehicles of its MPAs Malik Fahad, Tanveer Aslam Raja and Sardar Muhammad Ali were vandalized at Kharian.
“Our ticket holders, organizational officials and workers were arrested at the location of Gujar Khan,” the PTI statement further said.
Shortly before noon, the TTAP alleged that the Punjab police had arrested “several” PTI workers and had taken action against its camp in Rawalpindi’s Gujar Khan… - Dawn
Courtesy Dawn
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