As Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is preparing for protests across Pakistan, the residents of Rawalpindi have rejected their call to come out on the roads.
Shopowners, daily commuters have decided to continue their daily life and not involve in any voilent activities across the Garrison city.
Traders said shops and markets would remain open as usual. The main traders’ associations said PTI had neither contacted them nor would they participate in any strike.
Rawalpindi Traders Association President Sharjeel Mir told a private media outlet that “PTI had made no contact with traders and no one had approached them for a shutter-down strike. Neither did they contact us, nor will we join them for a shutter-down strike. We will keep shops and markets open, and it is the duty of the administration to ensure that no one forces shopkeepers to go on strike.”
“Traders would not become part of any political agenda. We suffered during the tenure of PTI-led governments in the past and there would be no strike or wheel jam in the garrison city and that PTI had not contacted traders,” Rawalpindi Anjuman Tajraan President Shahid Gafoor Paracha added.
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah’s reaction
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah made it clear that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is not in a position to launch any street movement, adding that the party’s planned wheel-jam strike on February 8 is not permitted under the law.
Speaking to a private TV channel Rana Sanaullah reiterated that PTI lacks the capacity to initiate a street movement, adding that based on the party’s recent visits to Sindh and Punjab, there was no indication of any such movement. He again emphasised that the proposed wheel-jam strike on February 8 was illegal.
What is Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan doing?
A coalition of six opposition parties under the banner of Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) held consultative meetings to finalise plans for observing Black Day and holding a nationwide strike on February 8.
Recently, a meeting was held in Islamabad under the chairmanship of the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Mehmood Khan Achakzai and was attended by Senator Raja Nasir Abbas, Barrister Gohar, Muhammad Zubair, Amar Ali Jan, and Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar.
According to a statement issued after the meeting, the consultation process regarding the observance of Black Day at the international level and the organisation of a nationwide strike on February 8 was completed.
The opposition alliance declared February 8 as a day of collective humiliation for the Pakistani nation, stating that the fundamental authority of the people and their right to choose their rulers were taken away on that day.
The declaration further said that Mehmood Khan Achakzai would not withdraw the call for protest on February 8 under any circumstances. Instructions were also issued to all allied parties and their organisational wings to ensure the success of the strike.
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