The opposition alliance’s national conference in Islamabad faced a major setback as the hotel cancelled its second-day booking.

Opposition leaders claim the hotel administration was pressured to withdraw its permission.

During an emergency press conference, opposition leader Umar Ayub revealed that hotel management cited external pressure, saying, “We are under pressure. You are intelligent enough to understand.”

Former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser added, “If you want to run the country like a jungle, then throw the Constitution away. We will stand against this.”

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The two-day opposition conference, held at an Islamabad hotel, focused on the country’s political situation and governance challenges.

However, after the first session, hotel officials reportedly informed organisers that intelligence agencies and administration representatives had warned them against hosting the event.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former prime minister and head of the Awam Pakistan Party, criticised the government’s actions, stating, “This government is afraid of the Constitution and even a simple conference. This was a closed-door event, not a street protest with thousands of people—just a few hundred attendees in an auditorium.”

Abbasi further alleged that the authorities threatened the hotel with fines worth millions and possible closure if they allowed the conference to proceed.

“Even though this hotel primarily serves the legal community and has ties to the Supreme Court, we were still told we couldn’t continue our event,” he added.

Despite the hotel’s stance, opposition leaders remained defiant.

Mahmood Khan Achakzai, leader of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, and Abbasi, as conference hosts, vowed that the event would go ahead at an alternate venue.

Abbasi stated, “This is our constitutional right, and we are only discussing constitutional matters.”

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Umar Ayub, condemned the situation, saying, “Legal experts, intellectuals, and politicians gathered to discuss Pakistan’s stability, yet the government panicked. This is the same administration that spends billions on advertisements but fears one conference.”

Ayub also warned of legal action, stating, “I will personally take this matter to the Chief Justice. Recently, we informed him that Pakistan is not following its Constitution or laws. This situation proves it once again.”

With increasing political tensions, the opposition’s claim of government interference in political discourse raises serious concerns about democratic freedoms in Pakistan. The coming days will determine how this confrontation unfolds.