National Assembly Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai suggested the formation of a “national government” to build consensus among the country’s political parties. Speaking in the NA during a debate on the Iran situation, Achakzai said, “We should agree on some democratic points at least – Parliament will be the source of power, supremacy of the Constitution, policies will originate from here.” Stating that the time had passed when they used to blame each other for mistakes, the opposition leader said, “We will have to move toward a national government.” “We will have to agree on some points. We will have to ask the establishment to give some space,” he said. Pointing out a “most dangerous” concern, Achakzai noted that several key politicians, including President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, were now of old age. “God forbid, if these four to five people are not here anymore, the remaining would not be able to do anything,” he added. He called for key politicians, including Zardari, Nawaz, Shehbaz and Imran Khan, to come to the table to discuss national issues. The country, Achakzai said, could only move forward through “collective wisdom”. He maintained that the “establishment” tried to break PTI founder Imran Khan but failed. Achakzai warned of resistance if there was any effort from “within the party or the rulers” to sideline Imran. Meanwhile, PPP’s Sharmila Faruqui decried the recent hikes in petroleum prices. She said that the briefing given by Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik before the NA on Monday on the increase in oil prices was not satisfactory and he was “unconvincing”. In her speech, Faruqui claimed Pakistan was the first country in the region to increase oil prices. Separately, Javed Hanif of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) demanded that the NA should be given a comprehensive briefing on the possible fallout of the ongoing regional situation so that they can formulate future policies and decisions.
NA opposition leader suggests formation of ‘national govt’
Published on: April 8, 2026 1:51 AM