Opposition leader condemns treatment of protesters and accuses government of turning provinces into colonies
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addresses the National Assembly budget debate on June 13, 2026. Screen recording
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday took the floor of the National Assembly to respond to a wide-ranging speech by opposition leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai, defending the government’s record in Balochistan and counterterrorism, while promising a detailed response to the opposition leader’s comments at an appropriate time.
The exchange took place during the ongoing budget debate chaired by President Ayaz Sadiq and attended by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.
The session began with a quorum deficit, with only 52 members present compared to the required 84. Despite the lack of a quorum, the proceedings continued. President Sadiq also announced the establishment of a budget desk at the Parliament Library to assist lawmakers with budget-related information.
On the other hand, the speaker censured Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) legislator Iqbal Afridi, accusing him of misconduct, using abusive language and attacking people. Sadiq said he had no right to occupy the chair if he could not ensure the protection of others.
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Opening the debate to what he described as “almost empty chairs”, Achakzai condemned what he called a campaign against the Pashtun people in Balochistan and rejected attempts to portray Pashtuns as terrorists.
“We condemn those who say that Pashtuns are terrorists,” he said, adding that Pashtuns had never compromised their freedom or acted as agents of any external power. “I consider it a serious sin to discriminate against any human being on the basis of color, race or language,” he added.
Achakzai invoked historical grievances in Balochistan, referring to the execution of Nawab Nauroz Khan and his sons during Field Marshal Ayub Khan’s era, the attack on Ataullah Mengal’s residence, the disappearance of Mengal’s son and the murder of Akbar Bugti, whose funeral prayers, he said, were not permitted.
“Pakistan cannot be governed this way,” he commented.
The opposition leader also paid tribute to former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, saying he had helped unite Pakistan after the country’s breakup. He recalled visiting Nusrat Bhutto after her execution and finding her distraught over the confiscation of her assets, claiming that he had intervened to protect them.
Achakzai further criticized the government’s handling of the protests, alleging that children gathered at D-Chowk to demand the release of PTI founder Imran Khan had been shot and that women and children faced unacceptable treatment after the May 9 riots.
He accused successive governments of treating Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh as colonies, noting that “even the British were better in comparison.”
Commenting on the merger of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Achakzai argued that India had responded by revoking the special constitutional status of occupied Kashmir. He added that many of those who once rallied in support of Kashmir were now protesting nationally.
Reaffirming the constitutional right to protest, Achakzai turned his attention to Waziristan, describing it as a region where every piece of land had a recognized owner. He said the military deployment there had produced consequences that are still felt today.
Calling for restraint, he urged the government not to “entangle the army and the state”, warning that young people on both the civilian and security sides were losing their lives. “The people of Waziristan are the owners of Waziristan,” he said.
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Despite his criticism, Achakzai adopted a conciliatory tone towards the end of his speech, addressing the prime minister directly and proposing that political forces sign a memorandum of understanding to move forward collectively.
He recalled holding late-night meetings with Shehbaz Sharif to ease tensions between the Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, facilitating a meeting between Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto in London, meeting Nawaz during his exile, and helping unite 36 political parties around a common agenda.
He concluded with a direct question: “Isn’t it a violation of the Constitution to make winning candidates lose?”
Responding from the floor, Prime Minister Shehbaz said he had listened carefully to Achakzai’s speech but would reserve a detailed response for a later occasion. “I will not give a detailed answer at this time. I will do so on an appropriate occasion,” he said.
Describing parliament as a chamber representing the four provinces, the prime minister said political differences were natural but the existence of Pakistan remained the basis of everyone’s collective future. “Any sacrifice made by Pakistan is very little,” he said.
Shehbaz rejected Achakzai’s criticism on provincial rights and said there can be no disagreement on the right of provinces to national resources. He cited Balochistan’s participation in the Reko Diq project and noted that the province’s allocation under the National Finance Commission Award 2010 had doubled, with Punjab contributing Rs 11 billion to the deal.
The prime minister also highlighted development initiatives in Balochistan, including a Rs 75 billion solarization program for farmers and the construction of a highway costing Rs 300 billion.
Addressing security issues, Shehbaz said external actors were involved in fueling terrorism in Balochistan and defended the fencing of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border as a necessary measure.
He added that members of the armed forces and police continued to sacrifice their lives daily in the fight against terrorism, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“These martyrs orphan their own children to save the nation’s children from being orphaned,” he said, urging lawmakers to honor and respect those who had given their lives.
Following the Prime Minister’s remarks, PTI Chairman Advocate Gohar Ali Khan briefly addressed the House and said the speech “did not answer our questions”. President Sadiq ordered him to keep his comments brief.
