Lahore/Islamabad, January 8, 2026: A convoy of the Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) entered Lahore on Thursday as part of the opposition alliance’s street mobilisation campaign, amid claims that several of its workers were detained and vehicles vandalised by Punjab police.
The TTAP delegation, led by alliance chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai, departed from Islamabad earlier in the day for Lahore to hold political and social engagements under what it termed a “peaceful street movement”.
“Despite all fascism, oppression and barbarism, the caravan of the Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan has successfully reached Lahore,” PTI’s Punjab chapter said in a post on X.
According to the alliance, the convoy was heading towards Zaman Park, the residence of jailed PTI founder Imran Khan, where Achakzai and TTAP Senior Vice-Chairman Allama Raja Nasir Abbas were expected to address the media. The TTAP also alleged that containers were placed on roads leading to Data Darbar to restrict movement.
Earlier, the alliance claimed that “dozens” of workers belonging to the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM), a TTAP constituent, were arrested in Lahore, including Senior Vice President Syed Hussain Kazmi. The PTI, in a separate statement, alleged that several members of delegations accompanying the convoy were detained at various points along the route.
The party accused Punjab police of using excessive force against “peaceful and unarmed citizens” and said vehicles of PTI MPAs Malik Fahad, Tanveer Aslam Raja and Sardar Muhammad Ali were vandalised near Kharian. It further claimed that party workers and office-bearers were arrested in Gujar Khan and that police action was taken against a TTAP camp there.
The PTI also alleged late-night raids on workers’ homes in Lahore, claiming that a party worker, Rashid Yousuf Jan, lost his life during a raid in Hanjarwal. The party demanded the immediate release of all “unjustly arrested” individuals and accountability for what it termed “unconstitutional and illegal actions”.
The TTAP further alleged that Senator Abbas’s son was taken into custody, a claim denied by a Gujranwala police official, who said the individual was briefly stopped for questioning after a PTI rally vehicle allegedly hit a police constable and was later allowed to proceed.
PTI senior leader Asad Qaiser condemned the alleged vandalism of the convoy’s vehicles by “masked individuals”, criticising the Punjab government and questioning the silence of PML-N President Nawaz Sharif. PTI Punjab chief organiser Aliya Hamza Malik urged party lawyers to register FIRs over vandalism and alleged violations of privacy during raids.
Videos shared by the PTI showed damaged vehicles, including several cars with broken rear windshields. The party alleged that protesters were first blocked, then attacked, and later subjected to violence despite staging a peaceful protest.
Earlier in the day, Achakzai said the delegation was not travelling to Lahore to create disorder. “We are setting out to end oppression and cruelty,” he said, calling on the public to stand with the opposition against what he described as an illegitimate parliament.
He urged people from all walks of life to observe protests on February 8, calling for the closure of shops and public transport as part of a nationwide peaceful movement.
Standing alongside him, Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Moeen Qureshi welcomed the TTAP chief and warned authorities against mistreating the delegation, reiterating that the movement would remain peaceful.
Addressing workers in Jhelum, Senator Abbas alleged that the public mandate was stolen in the 2024 elections and said the alliance would take to the streets across the country on February 8 to protest economic exploitation and political injustice.
The TTAP has earlier announced the observance of a “black day” on February 8, marking the second anniversary of the general elections, while demanding an independent judiciary and election commission, the release of political prisoners, and a new Charter of Democracy.
Meanwhile, amid stalled prospects of formal talks between the government and opposition, a group of politicians under the banner of the National Dialogue Committee on Wednesday called for the release of political prisoners to reduce political tensions and pave the way for reconciliation.
