'Govt for two-thirds majority via Fazl'

Achakzai says PTI won Feb 8 elections; has the right to rule country

ISLAMABAD:

Mehmood Khan Achakzai, the head of an opposition parties' alliance, has claimed that President Asif Ali Zardari's recent meeting with JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman is part of the ruling coalition's attempt to gain a two-thirds majority in parliament.

"Zardari met with Maulana in a bid to secure a two-thirds majority. Political parties are also accepting bribes under the guise of donations," Achakzai, who also leads his Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), said on Sunday while speaking to journalists at the Mardan Press Club.

President Zardari and Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi met with Fazl on Saturday as the ruling coalition is preparing to introduce some significant legislation in the National Assembly and the Senate next week.

The meeting came on the heels of recent discussions between JUI-F and the PTI leadership, signaling shifting political alliances and potential impacts on upcoming legislative moves of the ruling parties.

During the meeting, the sources in the ruling alliance and JUI-F said the discussions focused on the evolving political situation, with particular attention on the government's anticipated legislative agenda, which is said to be designed to address critical economic woes but can potentially influence judicial territory.

The JUI-F, which has been in talks with PTI leaders to protest against the government as well as coordinate on legislative matters, has found itself at the centre of both opposition and ruling coalitions' strategies as they both want the party to be on their side.

As the ruling coalition seeks to consolidate support, the outcome of these high-stakes discussions could significantly influence the legislative process in the coming weeks.

According to Achakzai, confusion with regard to the right to rule is the biggest issue in Pakistan. He said the PTI had emerged as the biggest party after the February 8 general elections and it deserves to rule the country.

"If the Constitution had been upheld in the country, Pakistan would not have disintegrated, [former prime minister Zulfikar Ali] Bhutto would not have been hanged, and [his daughter and former PM] Benazir [Bhutto] would not have been assassinated.

Mehmood Khan Achakzai said that Pakistan is sinking while all its problems are internal. "We are tearing the country apart like wolves," he added.

He said all ethnic groups living in the country should be given equal rights. "We are not asking for charity; we are demanding our rights."

Achakzai said the country cannot function without the military and agencies, but for Pakistan to succeed, the supremacy of the Constitution must be recognized, and parliament must be acknowledged as the source of power.

Referring to the May 9 incidents of vandalism, often blamed on the PTI, Achakzai said that not only these riots but also other issues should be investigated.

He revealed that in the past, PML-N chief and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif offered him a ministry but he turned down that offer.