Mahmood Khan Achakzai Calls for Unity to Restore Constitution and Democracy at All-Party Conference in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD:In his opening address at the two-day All-Party Conference organized by the Pakistan Constitution Protection Movement, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Chairman of Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and the Movement for the Protection of Pakistan’s Constitution, welcomed the participants and emphasized the common goal of upholding the Constitution, ensuring the freedom of the judiciary and media, and restoring the stolen public mandate.

Achakzai pointed out that on February 8, through coercion and financial influence, the people’s mandate was unlawfully snatched, with the candidate who offered the highest bid declared the winner. He criticized the subsequent manipulation of the state system, where everything from conscience to government jobs and public resources was up for sale.

He added, “Pakistan has been a nation for 78 years, but its ethnic groups have been settled for thousands of years. This federation is a voluntary union based on the Constitution, which is a social contract. Today, however, the Constitution is being rendered dysfunctional.” He also lamented that after the formation of Pakistan, there should have been elections for a new constituent assembly to draft a consensual constitution, but instead, new terminologies were invented, and arguments over “parity” and “one-unit” led to the division of the country.

Achakzai criticized the undemocratic powers for treating the Constitution as a mere piece of paper and underscored that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was denied its electoral symbol through court orders, thus initiating a conspiracy to steal its mandate even before the elections. He said that despite multiple election symbols, PTI candidates were still able to secure votes from the public on February 8, but their mandate was forcibly taken away the following night.

He continued, “On one side, 45% of the population is living below the poverty line, while on the other, corruption and lawlessness reign. Institutions are paralyzed due to this corruption, and if we want to save the country, we must trust our people, establish peace and justice, and grant the ethnic groups their political and economic autonomy over their resources.”

Regarding resource-rich areas, Achakzai noted the exploitation of natural resources in regions like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Karak and Balochistan’s Pashtun areas, where even basic services like drinking water are not available. He condemned the aerial bombings and artillery strikes in areas such as Tira and Bajaur, asking, “What was the fault of the innocent people of Tira and the children of Bajaur, who were mercilessly shot at?”

Achakzai also highlighted that in Islamabad, opposition parties are not even being allowed to hold their conference at a private hotel. PTI leaders and thousands of its workers are unjustly imprisoned, and their elected representatives are being disqualified on various pretexts. He added that international powers are making new alignments for geopolitical dominance, which poses a serious test for the political forces and rulers of the region.

To address this critical situation, Achakzai called on all democratic forces and political parties to unite and formulate a new, consensual charter and social contract to restore and uphold the Constitution and democracy. He also suggested that the current Prime Minister, who he accused of coming to power through a stolen mandate, should be greeted with black flags wherever he goes.

Achakzai warned international powers that the current government is not the legitimate representative of the people and that any agreements made by it, particularly those involving resources and minerals, hold no legal standing.

On the first day of the conference, opposition parties, lawyers, media personalities, and other organizations participated, with several prominent figures delivering speeches.