Achakzai suggests formation of ‘national government’ to build political consensus

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai on Tuesday 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 at least agree on some points.”

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.”

“The system that came after the elections has collapsed,” he claimed, referring to the PML-N-led coalition government formed after the Feb 8, 2024, general elections.

This country, Achakzai said, could only move forward through “collective wisdom”.

He maintained that the “establishment” tried to break ex-premier and PTI founder Imran Khan but failed.

Achakzai, also the head of the opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP), warned of “resistance” if any effort was made to sideline Imran.

“We will have to agree on some points. We will have to ask the establishment to give some space,” he said.

The opposition leader also pointed out the absence of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif from the house. “Shehbaz Sharif is not here; otherwise, I would have spoken to him,” he said.

Lashing out at United States President Donald Trump, Achakzai said one individual wanted to push the entire world into war.

He added that the US trusted Pakistan and it should take advantage of that. The opposition leader further said that Afghanistan had been Pakistan’s ally and would remain so.

Achakzai suggested that there should be no adjournments and the session should be held continuously, with everyone allowed to speak.

PPP’s Sharmila Faruqui decries fuel price hike

Meanwhile, also speaking on the NA floor, 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”.

Since the February 28 strikes by the US and Israel on Iran triggered the war and pushed up global oil prices, fuel prices in Pakistan have reached record highs.

In two major hikes, petrol prices have risen from Rs266.17 to Rs378 — after a partial reduction in a recent hike — while those of high-speed diesel have surged from Rs280.86 to Rs520.35.

In her speech, Faruqui claimed Pakistan was the first country in the region to increase oil prices.

The PPP leader referred to recent addresses by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the April 2 press conference by three ministers on the issue of oil prices, saying they showed a lack of consistency in the government’s policies and decisions.

Faruqui noted that in his speeches, PM Shehbaz kept on insisting that prices would not be raised and their impact would not be transferred to the people, but then ministers held a press conference and suddenly prices were increased twice.

She suggested that the government hire the services of some consultants in order to have consistent policies, highlighting that no one knew how long the economic crisis stemming from the Middle East conflict would last.

The PPP MNA noted there was a tax of Rs131 per litre on petrol.

“What, after all, is this government’s policy? How does it plan to move forward? The price of diesel is also the highest in the region,” she said.

Faruqui added that people were asking them how they were supposed to make ends meet.

She contended that the government talked about motorcyclists only, without realising there were other people being affected too.

The PPP leader remarked that even she hesitated while buying petrol, wondering what the situation would be for ordinary people and those with small vehicles.

The government should reduce the profit margins of petroleum companies and formulate a comprehensive strategy, the PPP lawmaker suggested.

MQM-P calls for briefing on regional situation

Separately, Javed Hanif of 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.

Taking part in the debate, Hanif demanded that Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, and a team of security officials should brief the house on the Middle East conflict and its possible implications for Pakistan.

He appreciated Pakistan’s role and its mediatory efforts, saying that everyone was trusting Pakistan and its stature has increased.

However, the MQM-P leader said, they should be ready for the situation if these efforts remained fruitless.

He regretted that they were discussing the petroleum prices, which he termed a very trivial matter in the whole crisis. He contended that the entire architecture of the region could change in the future and they were only discussing oil prices.

“What if the US acts on its threat?” Hanif asked in an apparent reference to the US president’s threats to wipe out Iran. He cautioned that if it happened, then the statehood in Iran would come to an end.

He observed that if Iran retaliated, then the economic system of the Gulf countries would collapse, which could cause serious financial problems for Pakistan.

“What will happen with our remittances that are sent by some five million Pakistanis?” Hanif asked.

The MQM-P lawmaker stressed the need to consider what would happen to national unity, keeping in view the emotional attachment of Pakistanis during the crisis.

He was of the view that these issues were more serious than the issue of petroleum prices, which they had been discussing for the last few days.