MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday termed a meeting by the opposition Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) workers in a committee room of Muzaffarabad Civil Secretariat “unethical and unacceptable” and vowed to take the officials who allowed the meeting to task.

The meeting was called by PPP workers to discuss preparations for participation in their party’s upcoming long march in Pakistan.

The meeting was held in a large committee room in the basement of Block No 4 with former PPP regional president Chaudhry Latif Akbar its host. It was attended by dozens of workers, according to the pictures posted on different social media platforms by Mr Akbar’s social media team.

Mr Akbar is also leader of the opposition in the AJK Assembly which has been functioning, as a stopgap arrangement, in a newly constructed block on the civil secretariat premises due to the ongoing reconstruction of the assembly’s own building under a federal government funded project.

Since the temporary assembly building does not have enough accommodation the leader of the opposition, who enjoys perks and privileges equivalent to a cabinet member, has been allotted an office in Block Number 4.

Pictures of the crowded committee room with captions of ‘strategy for long march participation’ stirred angry reaction from many ruling party leaders and activists.

“We believe in tolerance towards opposition in a democratic parliamentary system but not the way it appears [our] weakness. [The] PPP meeting in [the] Civil Secretariat Building regarding the so-called long march against [the] federal government is unethical and unacceptable. Disciplinary action will be taken against culpable [government] officials,” tweeted PTI regional president and senior minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas.

Echoing his views, Raja Mansoor Khan, PTI’s regional secretary maintained that Mr Akbar had misused his position as leader of the opposition.

“Mr Akbar told the officials concerned that he wanted to hold an official meeting in his capacity as leader of the opposition. However, he cheated them by holding a party meeting with an agenda that we believe is aimed at disturbing order in the country,” he said referring to the long march.

He said party meetings should have been held in the party secretariat instead of the government’s secretariat.

When contacted by Dawn, Mr Akbar dismissed the viewpoint of PTI leaders and said he had every right to use the premises of the building that housed his office as leader of the opposition.

“If they have any objection to the use of the committee room by me, they should amend the privileges act and withdraw all facilities from the leader of the opposition,” he said.

“If the ministers can use committee rooms in their blocks concerned, why can’t I use the same in my block (number 4)?”

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2022