Mahmood Khan Achakzai Accuses Government of Protecting “War Criminals,” Calls for 1973 Constitution’s Restoration

Quetta/Islamabad:Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chairman and leader of the *Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Aaeen Pakistan*, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, sharply criticized the federal government during a press conference in Islamabad, accusing it of backing political figures implicated in grave human-rights abuses and urging a return to the 1973 Constitution to end Pakistan’s political crisis.

Achakzai denounced recent reports that the government had recommended a controversial international prize for a leader he described as complicit in mass killings in Palestine. He compared the current situation to former British prime minister Tony Blair’s decision to invade Iraq on the basis of faulty intelligence, saying global apologies cannot undo the human cost of such decisions.

“The people recommending a Nobel for a man who stood with killers of seventy thousand Palestinians demonstrates moral bankruptcy,” Achakzai said, adding that if the government truly cared about press freedom it should repeal the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) immediately. He urged members of the National Assembly to table and pass a resolution to abolish PECA, calling the law a tool for muzzling journalists.

Achakzai also criticized the National Assembly Speaker for barring certain voices, and accused the ruling coalition of seizing power through intimidation and alleged manipulation after the last elections. “Who is the bigger terrorist than the one who used money and force after 9pm on election night to terrorize 25 crore people and grab power?” he asked.

A strong proponent of constitutional restoration, Achakzai urged political parties and leaders — including Maulana Fazlur Rehman and others — to move for a return to the original spirit of the 1973 Constitution. He said re-enacting the 1973 framework, as agreed by Pakistan’s founding leaders, would end the country’s crises by reasserting parliament as the sovereign authority, ensuring one-man-one-vote, and creating an impartial electoral commission to guarantee free and fair polls.

“If political actors sign on to restore the 1973 Constitution and accept democratic norms, we will support bringing all political prisoners, including Imran Khan, back into the constitutional process,” Achakzai said, offering to collect necessary signatures.

On foreign policy, he warned against conflating sport and war and criticized attempts to nationalize conflicts for domestic political gain. He called for broad international dialogue — involving the UN Security Council and major powers — to find peaceful solutions to regional conflicts such as Gaza.

Achakzai concluded by calling for united, peaceful civic action if constitutional remedies fail, and urged Pakistan’s political forces to prioritize democratic rule and the welfare of ordinary citizens over partisan or personal interests.