TTAP suspends talks with Pakistan’s government pending meeting with Imran Khan — Dawn

In Pakistan, the opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz Aain-i-Pakistan (TTAP) announced the suspension of all talks with the government. Members of the alliance said they would not resume dialogue until a meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan is arranged and information about his health is provided, Dawn reports.

TTAP also stated that only its chairman, Mehmood Khan Achakzai, will be authorized to conduct any negotiations on behalf of the alliance. The decision was made at a leadership meeting at his residence, where the situation following the imposition of governor’s rule and an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province was discussed.

Demands of the opposition alliance

TTAP condemned the imposition of governor’s rule and the emergency, calling the move an encroachment on the constitution and the will of voters. The alliance demanded that the decisions be immediately revoked and said it intended to file a petition with the Peshawar High Court.

The alliance also demanded the release of suspended provincial chief minister Sohail Afridi, provincial assembly speaker Babar Saleem Swati, PTI’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief Junaid Akbar, as well as detained lawmakers and political figures. PTI reported their detention on October 11, shortly after the imposition of the emergency and governor’s rule.

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Separately, TTAP called for the release of Imran Khan’s sisters, who have been in custody for nearly three weeks under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance. The alliance also demanded that a meeting with the PTI founder be arranged and that access to his doctors be provided.

Emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

On Sunday, Pakistan’s federal government imposed an emergency under Article 232 of the constitution and governor’s rule under Article 234. The federal cabinet explained the decision by citing the security situation in the province, where PTI had led the government, and said it had been “deliberately disengaged” from the fight against terrorism.

After that, federal authorities authorized the deployment of the army to assist the civilian administration in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Container barricades were set up on several roads in Peshawar, and the police presence was increased. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said that governor’s rule was not politically motivated and had been imposed to counter terrorism.