Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai, whose party is allied with the PTI, expressed skepticism over talks between the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), questioning the value of negotiating with a government which he believes lacks a legitimate mandate.
In a press interaction with Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) Chairman Allama Raja Nasir Abbas in Islamabad on Friday, Achakzai remarked, “What is the point of negotiating with a government that has no legitimate mandate? “
His comments came after the second round of talks between the PTI and the government, which National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said were held in a cordial atmosphere.
Although PKMAP’s Achakzai expressed support for the success of the negotiations, he cynically stated that “but in such cases, prayers are not accepted.”
He also criticized Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, suggesting that he was once keen to become Prime Minister under then President General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, but was stopped by Nawaz Sharif. Achakzai added that Nawaz Sharif himself had “regressed”.
Meanwhile, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi expressed skepticism over the negotiations.
Speaking in Peshawar, Kundi stated that although negotiations were the only way out of Pakistan’s long-standing problems, he did not expect the PTI to receive an agreement similar to the controversial National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).
During the meeting, the PTI negotiation team pushed for frequent meetings with party founder Imran Khan to finalize their “charter of demands”.
The party’s key demands include the release of political prisoners and a judicial investigation into the events of May 9, 2023 and the November 26 crackdown. However, the PTI is yet to submit these demands in writing to the government committee.
