Governor’s rule decision challenged in Peshawar High Court; Pakistan being pushed to ruin, says Achakzai

PESHAWAR: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chairman and Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan head Mahmood Khan Achakzai has said that Pakistan is being pushed towards ruin.

He made these remarks while talking to the media, along with other leaders of the Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Barrister Gohar Khan and Salman Akram Raja, on the occasion of challenging the decision on emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the Peshawar High Court.

Mahmood Khan Achakzai said they had challenged the decision of this undemocratic, unconstitutional government, which rests on money and force, because they wanted decisions to be made in court. If, God forbid, the courts did not play their role, then decisions would be made on the streets and would be dangerous.

He said they had no personal enmity with anyone. Peshawar, he said, had been the centre of their movements and great struggles, and the fight between democratic and undemocratic forces had continued since Pakistan was founded.

Reference to the Constitution, the federation and history

He said the forces that opposed the democratic system in Pakistan had been dragging their feet over giving the country a constitution. They were so firm in this intention, he said, that they broke Pakistan only so as not to give it a constitution. They had not told anyone how, why and by whom Pakistan was broken, or who was responsible.

He said that after the break-up of Pakistan, the 1973 Constitution was framed with great difficulty. Although they had reservations about it too, it was a constitution and a social contract. Pakistan, he said, is a voluntary federation in which many nations and peoples live, including Pashtuns, Baloch, Sindhis, Saraikis and Punjabis. Nobody is anyone’s master or anyone’s slave here; everyone lives in his own homeland and his own society.

Mahmood Khan Achakzai said they had been very happy when the 1973 Constitution was framed, but the undemocratic forces could not digest it either. Article 58-2B swallowed four to five assemblies, but when political people decided, 58-2B disappeared in two days. The responsibility lies with political people today as well, he said. If they did not fulfil their responsibilities, this ruin would swallow Pakistan. He said these mad people were pushing Pakistan towards ruin and they did not want that.

Mandate, the chief minister and shots at protests

He said they had no enmity with anyone, neither with Shehbaz Sharif, nor with Asif Ali Zardari, nor with any other party. According to him, four parties had been accused of wrongdoing. The man who is now their president had been named and it was said that he was doing such and such things, so the assemblies were being dissolved. The same man was now levelling baseless allegations at his colleagues.

Mahmood Khan Achakzai said what had happened to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister was a mockery of the votes of 40 million people, and it was their last blow. Whether Imran Khan was a good man or a bad one, it was certain that Imran Khan and his party had won the election of 8 February 2024.

He said they were not ready to give the mandate and had been at it from day one. People were intimidated and threatened, and the number was brought down from 97 to 70. He expressed grief that a front was formed against the people’s mandate through the court and the armed forces together, and that a party was stripped of its election symbol, which has no parallel anywhere in the world.

He said people were beaten, and the reserved seats of women and minorities were distributed among the other parties. Unfortunately, no party said it was not its right. The last bastion was the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and its chief minister, for whom 40 million people had voted, and they attacked it.

He said it was the duty of everyone who believes in justice, fundamental rights and politics, including judges, because their mandate and government were being snatched and even the right to protest was not being given. When they take out peaceful processions, he said, they are shot straight in the head. This government is a murderous government.

Mahmood Khan Achakzai said shots were fired at a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf procession in front of Parliament and dozens of people were killed. Shots were also fired at a procession of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, a religious party that had no connection with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, and people were killed. Likewise, more than 120 Kashmiris were killed, and what happened in Gilgit-Baltistan, he said, grieved them.

He said that in France, millions of people came out against inflation and the Eiffel Tower was set on fire, but French police had not fired a single shot so far and said how could they fire at their own children. Here, he said, who knows how many people were killed over the issue of “I, I”. The world nurtures the spirit of freedom of its children, while here it is killed with bullets.

He said it is a crime not to rise against such a government. It is the duty of every person who believes in the Quran and democracy, whatever party he belongs to, including judges and social organisations, to stand up against this government. We will neither abuse anyone nor shoot anyone, he said, but if we do not rise, history will not forgive us.

Mahmood Khan Achakzai said they had morally challenged the mockery made of the voting rights of 40 million people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They were together in this struggle and wanted nothing, he said. The fight between the democratic and the undemocratic had entered its last stage. Whoever sits at home will be killed, and whoever comes forward will be recorded in history.