LAHORE: Speakers at a Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) Punjab workers convention on Thursday called for restoration of constitutional supremacy, respect for public mandate, release of political prisoners and urgent economic relief for citizens.

The convention was hosted by the Haqooq-e-Khalq Party and attended by Ammar Ali Jan, Shayan Bashir, Mian Akram Usman, Haider Butt, Azam Niazi, Farooq Tariq and a large number of political workers.

Mr Jan said Pakistan could not be stabilised through political engineering, repression or closed-room decisions. He said real stability required constitutional rule, credible elections and respect for the people’s mandate.

Shayan Bashir said the economic crisis could not be separated from the constitutional crisis. He said ordinary citizens were being crushed by inflation, unemployment, high utility bills and shrinking purchasing power. “The economy cannot be judged only through figures. It must be judged through the life of the ordinary citizen,” he said.

Speakers said the government’s claims of economic recovery were meaningless when businesses were closing, industries were under pressure, youth were unemployed and families were unable to manage household budgets.

They demanded restoration of constitutional rights, independent courts, free media, credible elections, an end to political victimisation and release of all political prisoners. They said that Pakistan was a federation and provincial rights, NFC shares and democratic autonomy were constitutional guarantees, not favours from the centre.

The TTAP Punjab resolved to continue organising workers across districts, tehsils and union councils for a peaceful democratic and constitutional movement.

Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2026