Achakzai says Pakistan’s crisis stems from internal corruption, not foreign enemies

QUETTA: Mahmood Khan Achakzai, chairman of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), head of the Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen Pakistan and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, delivered the presidential address at the zonal conference of the Pakhtun Students Organisation’s South Pakhtunkhwa zone.

He said Pakistan was in an extremely critical condition. He said the crisis was not caused by foreign enemies but by “our internal wrongdoing, bribery and dishonesty”. He said opposition to the rulers was treated as treason. “We are not against the state. We want our right to rule in Pakistan according to our population,” he said.

Talks during Khyber Pakhtunkhwa long march

He said talks were under way during the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa long march and had proved fruitful. Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was demanding that he would end the sit-in if he was only allowed to meet his leader, Imran Khan. The negotiators had agreed, without asking him, that since Sunday was in between, they would meet Imran Khan on Monday.

He said that when Maulana Fazlur Rehman went there in the morning as negotiator, he was told that a cabinet meeting would be held. He said the meeting decided to impose governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa because of terrorism there.

He asked what terrorism was meant. He said children and women were being kidnapped in the riverine (kacha) area of Sindh, and the Sindh government had repeatedly said its writ did not run there. He said what was happening in his province was worse than the conditions in Peshawar and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, yet governor’s rule had not been imposed there.

He said Pakistan could still become a good country. He said the only way was to strengthen democratic institutions, make the elected parliament the source of power and keep every institution within the limits set by the Constitution.

Mahmood Khan Achakzai said the present government had terrorised 240 million people and taken its seat on the mandate of others. He said there was only one cure for this terrorism: “We should repent, hold talks and help one another build a democratic Pakistan.”

In the end, he congratulated all workers of the organisation and the elected cabinet on the successful South Pakhtunkhwa zone conference.