TTAP chief calls nationwide strike on Feb 8 to demand Imran’s release, ‘end oppression’

• Achakzai urges shutter-down and wheel-jam protests across the country, stressing slogans alone won’t secure PTI founder’s freedom
• Says TTAP caravan from Islamabad faced police obstructions, arrests and vandalism on way to Lahore
• Senator Abbas, Raja Nasir Abbas highlight stolen mandate, economic exploitation, and political oppression
• TTAP emphasizes peaceful movement, Constitution restoration, an independent judiciary, and release of political prisoners

LAHORE: Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai on Thursday urged political leaders and citizens to take to the streets and observe a complete shutter-down and wheel-jam strike on February 8, stressing that slogans alone would not secure the release of PTI founder Imran Khan or deliver the nation its “haqiqi azadi” (true freedom).

Speaking to reporters outside Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence in Lahore, Achakzai said: “Slogans alone will not help release Imran Khan from jail. People must rise on February 8 and bring the country to a standstill.”

Earlier in the day, a TTAP delegation led by Achakzai departed from Islamabad to Lahore as part of the opposition’s “street movement” aimed at holding political and social gatherings in the provincial capital.

8 فروری کو پہیہ جام اور شٹر ڈاون ہڑتال کی کال دے دی گئی ہے، اگر آپ 8 فروری کو ملک بند کر دیتے ہیں اور سڑکوں پر عوامی راج لگانے میں کامیاب ہو جاتے ہیں تو پھر انھیں ہر صورت عمران خان کو رہا کرنا پڑے گا،
لہذا اب وقت آ گیا ہے کہ عملی طور پر نکلیں، pic.twitter.com/tmzY25qhby

— Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (@TTAP_OFFICIAL) January 8, 2026

Flanked by Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Moeen Riaz Qureshi, Achakzai addressed the media following the arrival of the opposition alliance’s caravan in Lahore. He alleged that law enforcement agencies interfered with the procession, vandalised vehicles belonging to party leaders and supporters, and arrested several workers.

Achakzai urged people from Bajaur to KP to participate in the ‘Aman March’ on February 8, carrying black flags to signal their stand against oppression and fascism. Those unable to join the rallies were asked to observe protests in their local streets.

چیئرمین تحریک تحفظ آئین پاکستان محمود خان اچکزئی اور وائس چیئرمین تحریک تحفظ آئین پاکستان سینٹر علامہ راجہ ناصر عباس کی قائد عمران خان کی رہائش گاہ زمان پاک کے بار میڈیا سے گفتگو pic.twitter.com/ZjmZWxNGcn

— Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (@TTAP_OFFICIAL) January 8, 2026

Acknowledging that police allowed the caravan to reach Lahore, Achakzai called on officers to act in the interest of Pakistan rather than to satisfy “the ego of one person or family.” He emphasised: “Obey orders aligned with the law. It is wrong to attack people for raising slogans.”

On the dialogue process, Achakzai said: “The path to dialogue will open only when the country shuts down on February 8. Whom should we engage? The federal government snatched our mandate, the courts took the PTI’s election symbol, and political leaders and workers have been sentenced to 10–20 years in jail.”

یہ پولیس ہماری اپنی ہے ان سے ہم درخواست کرتے ہیں آپ پاکستان کی پولیس ہیں کسی حکومت یا جرنیل کی پولیس نہیں ہیں، آپ وہ احکامات مانیں جو قانون کے مطابق ہوں۔ کسی کو اس لیے مارنا کہ وہ کسی دوسری جماعت کا ہے ظلم ہے۔ قرآن کریم شرک کے بعد سب سے بڑا گناہ کسی کے قتل کو کہتا ہے۔ آپ نے ڈی… pic.twitter.com/WUDHq9dmns

— PTI (@PTIofficial) January 8, 2026

He added that the delegation had come to Lahore to urge the public to end oppression and said: “We are not against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif or President Asif Zardari, but we oppose political parties and state institutions desecrating the Constitution.”

Achakzai criticised constitutional amendments, lamenting that the party which had once raised slogans for “roti, kapra aur makan” (bread, clothes, and a home) was now engaged in damaging the Constitution through the 26th and 27th amendments. He added: “People are struggling for food, farmers are not getting fair prices, and youth and investors are leaving the country.”

یہ پولیس ہماری اپنی ہے ان سے ہم درخواست کرتے ہیں آپ پاکستان کی پولیس ہیں کسی حکومت یا جرنیل کی پولیس نہیں ہیں، آپ وہ احکامات مانیں جو قانون کے مطابق ہوں۔ کسی کو اس لیے مارنا کہ وہ کسی دوسری جماعت کا ہے ظلم ہے۔ قرآن کریم شرک کے بعد سب سے بڑا گناہ کسی کے قتل کو کہتا ہے۔ آپ نے ڈی… pic.twitter.com/WUDHq9dmns

— PTI (@PTIofficial) January 8, 2026

Referring to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s historic march on GT Road, Achakzai called on the Sharif family to once again raise the slogan “vote ko izzat do” (respect the vote). He stressed that restoring the Constitution and dispensing justice was essential for saving the country.

Abbas, speaking alongside Achakzai, said no justice could be delivered without restoring the rule of law. He condemned lawlessness observed along GT Road during their journey, accusing the government of prolonging its rule through terrorising citizens.

لاہور پاکستان کا دل ہے اور ہمارا شہر ہے اور ہم یہاں پہنچ چکے ہیں،

محمود خان اچکزئ
pic.twitter.com/C39sUhQXcM

— PTI (@PTIofficial) January 8, 2026

PTI Punjab chief organiser Aliya Hamza instructed the party’s lawyers to lodge FIRs against police raids, which violated citizens’ privacy and damaged property, including vehicles.

TTAP convoy reaches Lahore

The TTAP caravan entered Lahore earlier in the day, with several workers allegedly detained by Punjab police, the alliance said. In a post on X at 7:32pm, PTI’s Punjab chapter claimed:

تمام تر فسطائیت، جبر اور بربریت کے باوجود تحریک تحفظ آئین پاکستان کا قافلہ لاہور پہنچنے میں کامیاب۔ #سٹریٹ_موومنٹ_کی_تیاری_پکڑیں #ReleaseImranKhan pic.twitter.com/Lll4MjteTw

— PTI Punjab (@PTIPunjabPK) January 8, 2026

“Despite all fascism, oppression, and barbarism, the TTAP caravan has successfully reached Lahore.”

The convoy was headed toward Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence, where Achakzai and Senior Vice-Chairman Allama Raja Nasir Abbas were expected to address the media. The TTAP also said the Lahore administration had placed containers to block routes to Data Darbar.

Workers arrested, vehicles vandalised

At 3:34pm, the TTAP claimed “dozens” of MWM workers were arrested in Lahore, including Senior Vice President Syed Hussain Kazmi. The PTI condemned the “fascism and oppression” of Punjab police and alleged that peaceful participants were being subjected to brutal treatment.

🚨داتا دربار کو لاہور انتظامیہ نے کنٹینرز لگا کر بند کر دیا ہے۔ تحریکِ تحفظ آئین پاکستان کے قائدین علامہ راجہ ناصر عباس اور محمود اچکزئی صاحب اب رات 8 بجے میڈیا سے زمان پارک کے باہر گفتگو کریں گے۔

— Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (@TTAP_OFFICIAL) January 8, 2026

The party said vehicles of MPAs Malik Fahad, Tanveer Aslam Raja, and Sardar Muhammad Ali were vandalised in Kharian. Several workers were detained along the route, including in Gujar Khan and Rawalpindi. Videos showed police vans and personnel carrying batons during raids.

PTI further alleged that during late-night raids in Lahore, worker Rashid Yousuf Jan lost his life in Hanjarwal. The party demanded the immediate release of all detained individuals and accountability for what it termed “unconstitutional and illegal actions”.

The TTAP also claimed that Senator Abbas’s son was taken into custody, though a Gujranwala police official denied the arrest, stating he was briefly stopped for questioning after a car hit a constable and then released.

PTI senior leader Asad Qaiser condemned the vandalism of convoy vehicles, calling the Punjab government “fascist” and questioning the silence of Nawaz Sharif, a long-time friend of Achakzai.

جو آج ہوا ہے اس سے پتہ چلتا ہے کہ یہ ایک فاشسٹ حکومت ہے، ہم نقاب پوشوں کی جانب سے تحریک تحفظ آئین پاکستان کے قافلے میں شامل گاڑیوں کو توڑنے کی شدید مذمت کرتے ہیں، pic.twitter.com/WgdIoXa0N1

— Asad Qaiser (@AsadQaiserPTI) January 8, 2026

A peaceful movement to end oppression

A TTAP post on X at 11am said the delegation’s journey to Lahore was not to conquer or attack, but to end oppression and cruelty. Achakzai, nominated as the next opposition leader in the National Assembly, called on citizens to join the February 8 protests, closing shops, rickshaws, and taxis in solidarity.

🚨پنجاب پولیس کی جانب سے پاکستان تحریک انصاف کے کارکنوں کی گرفتاری کا عمل شروع.
گوجرخان کے مقام پر تحریک تحفظ
آئین پاکستان کے استقبالیہ کیمپ کی طرف پولیس کا دھاوا۔ بیشتر کارکنان گرفتار۔ pic.twitter.com/Q0x6f1P01l

— Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (@TTAP_OFFICIAL) January 8, 2026

He was joined by Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Moeen Qureshi, who welcomed the TTAP leaders and warned authorities against treating them like KP CM Sohail Afridi’s delegation last month. Qureshi reiterated that the movement would remain peaceful.

In Jhelum at 1:30pm, Senator Abbas addressed workers, accusing the government of stealing the 2024 election mandate. He said the TTAP would take to the streets to end cruelty and defend the rights of the oppressed, including labourers, farmers, unemployed youth, and the poor.

PTI Punjab chief organiser Aliya Hamza Malik stated that the TTAP members would receive a grand welcome at nine locations along GT Road. TTAP spokesperson Hussain Yousafzai described the visit as a “practice match for the larger movement”, expressing optimism it would give hope to PTI workers in Punjab.

تحریک تحفظ آئین پاکستان کے پرامن قافلے پر پولیس کا حملہ ایک منظم ریاستی کارروائی ہے۔ مظاہرین کو پہلے گھیر کر روکا گیا، گاڑیوں پر حملے کیے گئے، شیشے توڑے گئے اور جب پرامن احتجاج کیا تو نہتے شہریوں پر تشدد کیا گیا۔ عوام کے پاس واضح ویڈیو شواہد موجود ہیں؛ پولیس کے پاس کوئی قانونی… pic.twitter.com/JGjsh4yL1d

— PTI (@PTIofficial) January 8, 2026

At a recent TTAP national conference, KP CM Afridi announced the observation of a “black day” on February 8, marking the second anniversary of the 2024 elections. The conference also called for a new Charter of Democracy, an independent judiciary and election commission, and the release of political prisoners as necessary steps to restore stability.

Meanwhile, proposals for dialogue between the government and opposition remain in limbo, though the National Dialogue Committee (NDC) has called for the release of all political prisoners as confidence-building measures (CBMs) to reduce tension and pave the way for reconciliation.