Opposition Grand Alliance accuses govt of preventing national conference

The Opposition Grand Alliance has accused the government of attempting to block their planned conference, insisting that the event will take place as scheduled tomorrow, despite the obstacles, reported.

The alliance’s leaders, including Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Omar Ayub, and others, held a press conference after a crucial meeting to discuss the situation.

Abbasi revealed that the alliance had been trying to secure a venue for the conference for the past week. He said initially, the first venue was cancelled, followed by a second one, with the explanation that the national cricket team needed to pass through.

He quipped that for cricket, the entire country is often put on hold. He added when the alliance moved to a third venue, the hotel administration intervened, threatening to shut down the market if the conference went ahead.

Despite these challenges, Abbasi stated that the conference did take place, with journalists, lawyers, and other political figures attending. He stressed that the event focused solely on the supremacy of the constitution and the rule of law, and that no inflammatory remarks were made.

He criticised the government for being intimidated by a simple conference. He pointed out that the event was held indoors, not in public, and yet the government was still fearful.

He also revealed that some individuals had threatened the hotel management, warning them to shut down the hotel if the conference proceeded. The alliance demanded written confirmation of these threats.

Abbasi described the government’s actions as a sign of weakness, questioning how a government spending billions on advertisements could be afraid of one conference.

He lamented that a government formed by two major political parties was now afraid of democracy, despite its claims of supporting it. He concluded by affirming that the conference would be held the next day, stating, “This is our right.”

Omar Ayub, the opposition leader, also spoke at the press conference, explaining that the conference had been organized to discuss the preservation of Pakistan’s constitution and the country’s future. He stressed that the participants were all democratic individuals, committed to strengthening Pakistan.

He further revealed that the hotel administration had admitted to being under pressure, though they did not disclose the source of it. The opposition leaders insisted on a written confirmation of this pressure.

Ayub claimed to send a direct message to the government, warning that if such interference occurred again, he would approach the Chief Justice of Pakistan.

He also addressed criticism directed at him for discussing issues related to Balochistan, suggesting that if the Balochistan government had control, it should take action to resolve the issue publicly.