Opposition parties pledged a collective struggle against the federal government's imposition of emergency and governor's rule in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The political groups demanded the preservation of parliamentary sovereignty, constitutional supremacy, and the holding of free and fair elections.
Lawmakers kept the possibility of resigning from their respective assemblies as a measure of protest. Mahmood Khan Achakzai stated he would contact other opposition groups to convene an all-parties conference.
Achakzai claimed the federal government acted unconstitutionally by removing the elected provincial administration. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf won seats in the elections, but Achakzai alleged the government was handed to a different party.
Achakzai further alleged that founder Imran Khan was being pressured into an agreement. The whereabouts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi remain unknown, according to Achakzai.
He also reported that party workers, lawmakers, and provincial ministers have gone missing. "This is not the time to remain silent but to stand up for the people's rights and constitutional protection," Achakzai said.
Achakzai added, "We will neither throw stones at anyone nor resort to violence. We will pursue a peaceful struggle." Demands from the opposition included the withdrawal of controversial amendments and the creation of an independent commission to oversee fair elections.
Akhtar Mengal claimed that the imposition of governor's rule blamed the entire province for terrorism. Mengal stated that the elected chief minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had been taken away.
He further alleged that people elected through "Form 47" were currently occupying the assemblies. Allama Raja Nasir Abbas claimed that the government was seizing control of the province because it could not manage the existing system as lawlessness worsened.
