Islamabad: After failed negotiations between the government and opposition last week, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has intensified efforts to unite opposition forces against the ruling coalition.
In a significant political move, former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has joined the opposition’s anti-government campaign.
According to reports, the meeting between PTI leaders and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, a former PML-N lawmaker from Murree, took place following PTI founder Imran Khan’s letter to Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir. In the letter, Imran Khan proposed "reform measures" to bridge the alleged trust deficit between the public and the military.
PTI has also approached Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and former Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar to persuade them to join the opposition alliance against the government.
Last year, PTI launched a multi-party opposition front named “Tehreek Tahafuz Aain Pakistan” (Movement for the Protection of Pakistan’s Constitution). This coalition included the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM).
PTI officials have now confirmed that the grand opposition alliance will be led by Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. The decision was made during a high-level meeting at former Speaker Asad Qaiser’s residence in Bani Gala.
The meeting was attended by Maulana Fazlur Rehman (JUI-F Chief), Hamid Raza (SIC Chief), Allama Raja Nasir Abbas (MWM Leader), Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub and Other prominent opposition figures.
According to sources, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was requested to lead the steering committee tasked with bringing all opposition forces under one platform. His selection was based on his reputation as a neutral figure. However, the formal structure of the committee is yet to be finalized.
During the meeting, opposition leaders collectively demanded the resignation of the government and called for free and fair elections under an independent Election Commission.
PTI lawyer Faisal Chaudhry, who attended the meeting, emphasized that transparent elections were the only way to resolve Pakistan’s political instability, terrorism, and unrest. He confirmed that the meeting took place with Imran Khan’s approval, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur was advised not to issue any statements against Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
Recognizing Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s potential role in an anti-government movement, PTI has actively sought to engage him, particularly given his political influence in Dera Ismail Khan.
Faisal Chaudhry pointed out that both PML-N and PPP had lost their political ground, while PTI was being deliberately sidelined. He criticized the government for failing to arrange a meeting between PTI’s negotiation committee and Imran Khan, who remains imprisoned in Adiala Jail.
Additionally, the meeting discussed amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and judicial appointments in the Islamabad High Court. It was decided that media and legal communities would be engaged for support on these matters.
Participants also expressed concern over rising terrorism in KP and Balochistan, leading to the formation of a special committee to devise a security strategy.
Meanwhile, PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui strongly criticized PTI for withdrawing from negotiations and writing a letter to the Army Chief. He questioned the purpose of such letters, arguing that similar attempts in the past had been ineffective.
Irfan Siddiqui stressed that serious negotiations were the only way forward for PTI, adding that writing letters to the establishment would yield no results—a lesson Imran Khan should have learned from past experiences.
He reminded that Imran Khan had sent a similar letter to the Army Chief when Arif Alvi was the President, but it failed to produce any political breakthrough.
