PKMAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai. PHOTO: INP
LAHORE:
Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai on Sunday warned that Pakistan risked further fragmentation if constitutional violations and political repression continued unchecked, saying some regions could be pushed toward declaring separation within months if the crisis deepened.
Addressing a news conference and public interactions in Lahore, Achakzai said the country was facing an “existential moment” driven not by external threats but by internal injustices, erosion of democratic norms and repeated interference with the Constitution. He described the TTAP movement as a final alarm, likening it to an SOS call issued when a ship is sinking.
“Pakistan cannot survive without its Constitution,” Achakzai said, arguing that the state had remained locked in a perpetual struggle between democratic and undemocratic forces since its inception. He said successive violations of constitutional principles had weakened institutions, hollowed out governance and alienated large segments of society.
The TTAP chief stressed that the alliance had not come to “conquer Lahore” but to mobilise public support for an eight-day protest movement centred on Feb 8, marking what he described as a turning point for constitutional restoration. Despite what he called an atmosphere of fear and pressure, he praised residents of Lahore for welcoming the delegation, calling it evidence that public sentiment remained firmly attached to democratic values.
The TTAP chief criticised what he termed selective patriotism, saying loyalty to the Constitution was increasingly portrayed as dissent, while compliance with power was rewarded.
Referring to the violence and unrest of May 9, he questioned why sensitive installations had been left unprotected and why demands for an independent judicial commission had gone unanswered. He said no democracy in the world had witnessed an entire political party stripped of its mandate through judicial or administrative measures, warning that such actions only deepened polarisation.
Speaking at the same event, TTAP Vice Chairman Allama Raja Nasir Abbas echoed concerns about shrinking democratic space, accusing the ruling authorities of blocking all avenues for reform. He said parliament had been rendered ineffective and basic freedoms curtailed, leaving citizens with little choice but to take to the streets.
“Punjab is known for its warmth and openness,” Abbas said, adding that its rulers should reflect the same spirit. He argued that laws restricting assembly and dissent had created a climate where peaceful protest was treated as a crime rather than a constitutional right.
Both leaders reiterated calls for nationwide, peaceful protests on Feb 8, urging citizens across political, ethnic and professional lines to participate.
