News
October 23, 2026
Opposition Leaders Criticize Govt on Stalled Talks, Restrictions on ParliamentariansIslamabad: Opposition leaders Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Thursday criticized the government over stalled political negotiations and restrictions on parliamentarians, calling for meaningful dialogue and the protection of elected representatives’ rights.
Speaking at a press conference outside Parliament House alongside opposition leaders, Gohar said the opposition had repeatedly engaged in negotiations with the government in good faith and without preconditions, but the process had failed to produce the desired results.
“Our government went away while we kept negotiating with the government,” he said, referring to the opposition’s attempts to pursue political dialogue.
Gohar also questioned the criteria used to assess political leaders’ loyalty to the state, saying that despite nearly three years of the current parliament, he still did not understand the formula used to determine such allegiance. “We have always said that Pakistan comes first and the state comes first,” he said.
“We are treated as though we are not loyal to the state. This perception must end,” he added, calling for an end to questions about opposition politicians’ commitment to Pakistan.
He also called for parliamentarians to be protected so they could represent their constituents freely and without fear. Recalling an incident in September 2024, when opposition lawmakers were allegedly picked up, Gohar said the opposition leader had moved a resolution in the National Assembly in response.
He added that a special committee had also been constituted to address the issue of parliamentarians’ protection.
Achakzai calls for complete recording of parliamentary speeches
Addressing the press conference, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Mahmood Khan Achakzai stressed that parliamentary speeches should be recorded in their entirety, arguing that the official record was essential to preserving the country’s political history and allowing the public to assess the statements of elected representatives.
“The complete speech of a member speaking in the National Assembly being recorded is a constitutional requirement,” he said.
Achakzai said parliamentarians had to struggle even for rights that should ordinarily be guaranteed under parliamentary rules. He maintained that the speaker’s authority should be exercised in accordance with the rules and regulations governing the assembly.
Referring to his speech in the National Assembly a day earlier, he said he had made no inappropriate remarks. He alleged that his four-and-a-half-minute speech had been presented as a nine-minute address.
He also rejected suggestions that his remarks had been directed against the country, saying not a single word in his speech had been against Pakistan.
The opposition leader said the time allotted to opposition lawmakers to speak in parliament had been curtailed, describing the restriction as another obstacle to democratic debate.
Achakzai questioned what he described as the inconsistent issuance of production orders for lawmakers, saying such orders had been issued for some members but not others. He argued that parliamentary proceedings and the rights of elected representatives should be protected without discrimination.
He also criticized the government’s approach to political negotiations, questioning how the opposition could trust a process that, in his view, had been ridiculed by those in power.
He said political dialogue required a meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan. He also recalled that Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had met the prime minister regarding this issue.
The opposition had asked the government to ensure that the prime minister personally extended an invitation for negotiations, he said. “Negotiations cannot take place in an atmosphere where the process itself is being mocked,” he said.
Achakzai called for a committee to investigate allegations of corruption against the incumbent government, proposing that Defense Minister Khawaja Asif head it.
He maintained that the opposition would resist what it considered an undemocratic system through democratic means. “It is the duty of every citizen who wants to save Pakistan to stand up for democracy,” he said, adding that the country needed a strong parliament and state institutions operating within their respective constitutional jurisdictions.
“We will not hand Pakistan over to an undemocratic system,” he said, warning that such an order could threaten the country’s unity.
Raja Nasir Abbas calls for rule of law
Also speaking at the press conference, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas stressed that the rule of law, justice and respect for the Constitution were essential for Pakistan’s progress, saying the country’s political and economic crises could not be resolved without the supremacy of law.
He said the rule of law and access to justice were fundamental to national development. Pakistan could not overcome its ongoing political crisis unless the Constitution was upheld and the rule of law firmly established, he added.
Addressing the country’s economic challenges, Abbas said the economic crisis, too, could not be resolved without ensuring the supremacy of law. He added that justice was necessary to restore public confidence in state institutions and the wider system.
He expressed concern that the trust deficit between the rulers and the people had reached its highest level in the country’s history. He also criticized the continued registration of fabricated cases and first information reports (FIRs), saying such practices further undermined public trust. - The Express Tribune
Courtesy The Express Tribune
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