All Parties Should Agree on 5–6 Points, I Will Get PTI Founder to Sign, Says Mahmood Khan Achakzai

Karachi: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and head of the opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz Aain Pakistan, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, has said that if all political parties of Pakistan agree on five or six key points and sign them, he will personally obtain the signatures of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder as well.

Addressing a dinner hosted by former governor Muhammad Zubair at his residence in Karachi, Achakzai said Pakistan is facing multiple crises, most of which have been created internally. He remarked that several state institutions are functioning like subordinates, adding that he has no hostility toward the armed forces or any institution. “Our army is among the best in the world, and the country cannot function without it,” he said.

He stated that due to flawed policies, the country is heading toward economic hardship. Referring to PTI, he said a major political party was deprived of its election symbol and its leader is currently in jail. He also described the Karachi visit of opposition leader Suhail Afridi as successful, saying the movement aims to eliminate injustice and urged people to join them.

Achakzai said conditions from Bajaur to Khyber remain unstable and stressed that Afghanistan, being the heart of Asia, must be dealt with according to ground realities. He emphasized that problems cannot be resolved through force but through dialogue.

He clarified that the movement was not formed to gain power but to protect the Constitution. “We anticipated that the Constitution would come under attack,” he said, adding that the movement was not launched out of enmity toward anyone. He also claimed that the real Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) was formed in London and reiterated that he had earlier refused to be part of any move to remove a government.

Calling for collective resistance against what he termed national destruction, Achakzai said JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman would also soon join the movement. He criticized the rulers for lacking governance skills and recalled that Nawaz Sharif had once formed a committee which unanimously decided to grant citizenship to Afghans born in Pakistan.

He further said Pakistan cannot be run with force, urging authorities to embrace regions like Waziristan with sincerity to resolve long-standing issues. He questioned who turned religious seminaries into centers of extremism, distancing himself from responsibility for the deteriorating situation.

Highlighting changing global conditions, including examples like Venezuela, Achakzai urged that Parliament be taken into confidence. He called for joint meetings of Parliament and all state institutions, advocating collective wisdom to pull the country out of crisis.

He said questions regarding negotiations with the government and Nawaz Sharif would be answered on the floor of the National Assembly. He reiterated his proposal for a national government, stating that if all parties agree on key points, he would secure the PTI founder’s endorsement.

Speaking on the occasion, PTI leader Asad Qaiser said the PTI founder is fighting for the restoration of the Constitution. He announced a nationwide wheel-jam strike and protests on February 8, urging the public to demand their right to vote.

Vice Chairman of the movement, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, said the delegation’s visit to Karachi aimed to unite people amid political and economic crises. He stressed that the 1973 Constitution represents all federating units and called for transparent general elections, claiming that the judiciary is not independent and that the party receiving the most votes was punished.

The leadership of Tehreek Tahafuz Aain Pakistan announced a nationwide wheel-jam strike and observance of a “Black Day” on February 8, appealing to citizens to come out in support of vote protection, constitutional supremacy, fundamental rights, an independent judiciary, and the release of the PTI founder.