LAHORE: A Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP), Punjab, meeting on Monday here reviewed the prevailing political situation in the province and charted the alliance’s organisational priorities for the coming weeks.

The meeting was attended by Haqooq-e-Khalq Party (HKP) leaders Ammar Ali Jan, Farooq Tariq and Haider Butt as well as PTI leaders Mian Akram Usman, Shayan Bashir and Yasir Gillani.

The meeting condemned the reported denial of permission to Mahmood Khan Achakzai to travel to Kashmir, terming it a continuation of the state’s pattern of restricting the political movement of opposition leadership.

The meeting said such actions would only deepen the trust deficit between the state and the political opposition at a time when the country could least afford it.

The meeting also condemned the Supreme Court’s decision on the election symbol issue concerning the PTI, with participants describing it as a setback for a level electoral playing field and a matter that struck at the heart of fair representation in Punjab and across the country.

The meeting condemned the Punjab Control of Habitual Offenders and Anti-Social Behaviour Bill, 2026 passed by the Punjab Assembly, calling it a direct attack on freedom of speech and the democratic rights of citizens.

The meeting said the legislation, as framed, risked being used to criminalise dissent and ordinary political activity under the cover of public order.

On organisational matters, the meeting decided that TTAP Punjab would roll out a series of workers’ conventions across Lahore in the coming weeks, aimed at strengthening grassroots engagement and tightening coordination among party cadres ahead of the local government elections.

The participants also agreed to begin work on a joint opposition strategy for the upcoming local government elections, with an emphasis on seat coordination and a unified approach among allied parties to avoid splitting the opposition vote.

The meeting reaffirmed TTAP’s continued commitment to the restoration of constitutional governance and the protection of democratic and civil rights across Punjab.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2026