Achakzai declined PTI mediator's role: Asif

The country’s defence minister has claimed that the head of an opposition parties’ alliance—Mahmood Khan Achakzai—has turned down a request by former prime minister Imran Khan to hold talks with the military establishment on his behalf.

Taking to X—formerly Twitter—Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif on Friday said the PTI claims that Achakzai will negotiate with the establishment on its behalf.

“Speaking to a TV show host, I had stated that this was not possible in my opinion. Today, during the National Assembly session I directly asked Achakzai if this was the case. His reply was in the negative,” Asif, who belongs to the ruling PML-N, claimed. “As always, the PTI founder’s suggestion is non-serious and insincere. It is nothing but a political gimmick,” he said.

Achakzai, representing PkMAP, was elected in April as head of an alliance—the Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ain—also comprising the PTI, the SIC, the MWM, and the BNP-M. The PTI on Thursday announced expanding the alliance to include all opposition parties.

“The PTI has decided to expand the opposition alliance in a meeting with Imran Khan,” Asad Qaiser, a former National Assembly speaker, said while talking to the media outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, where Imran is currently detained.

Qaiser revealed that the former ruling party plans to unite all opposition parties for a robust anti-government movement. He said the PTI’s upcoming rally in Swabi aims to raise a “strong voice” for the release of Imran Khan and other detained leaders.

“This country will only be governed in accordance with the law and the Constitution,” he said.

However, talking to a private news channel, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman—the chief of one of the major opposition parties Jamaat-e-Islami—ruled out the possibility of his party joining any alliance.