Asif throws down the gauntlet, Achakzai accepts it

PML-N leader asserts there will be no talks until May 9 chapter is concluded

ISLAMABAD:

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, while accusing PTI of desperately seeking a deal from the powers that be, threw down the gauntlet to the grand opposition alliance's head Mahmood Khan Achakzai on Monday.

He questioned whether Achakzai, with his life-long struggle against powerful stakeholders, would now be holding talks with the establishment on behalf of PTI.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed lawmaker had another field day in the National Assembly as Leader of the Opposition in NA, Omar Ayub, lashed out at the government while the defence minister turned his guns towards PTI and grand opposition alliance – Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP).

Nevertheless, the face-off between the treasury and the opposition as well as the fiery speeches by the defence minister and TTAP chief conveyed the sense that the political forces continue to prefer wrangling over table talks.

Yet, the silver lining in Monday's session was Asif's no objection to PTI holding talks with the establishment provided they agree and Achakzai's stance that he was ready to hold talks with every institution as proposed by PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif a couple of days ago.

In response to the taunt from the opposition benches that the parties sitting on the treasury benches have a habit of taking NRO, Asif responded by saying that "currently Raoof Hasan is begging for an NRO", saying the PTI information secretary issued a statement a day ago and PTI founding chairman Imran Khan has frequently been conveying from jail that "talks will only be held with the army".

Addressing Achakzai, Asif asked if he would be holding talks with the army, further asking if Achakzai would be representing PTI, which doesn't want to hold talks with political parties and stresses that it would hold talks only with the establishment.

"What would be my brother Mahmood Khan Achakzai's opinion on this point," Asif wondered.

Accusing PTI of being nurtured in the establishment's lap, Asif chided by saying that they miss that lap time and again but forget that neither former military chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa nor the spymasters Gen Faiz Hameed and Gen Shuja Pasha were available anymore as a new military top brass has already replaced them.

The defence minister boldly challenged the opposition to engage in talks with the powerful stakeholders if they were willing, pointing out that the opposition parties themselves hadn't yet made up their minds about who they actually wanted to negotiate with.

"It's evident they have no interest in holding talks with us here in Parliament," he remarked, adding, "If those they wish to speak with are willing, then by all means, they should proceed. We have no quarrel with them on this matter; they are free to do as they please."

"If anyone holds talks then do it," Asif maintained, "if not then find any other way." But, he added, the opposition should not taunt us as NRO beneficiaries as "they are desperately trying for an NRO right now."

Under the current circumstances, Asif said, "They wants to get some relief; they want the establishment to give them some relief; want some kind of pardon; but I want to say a thing with absolute clarity that until May 9 [mayhem] is not fully concluded, there will not be any kinds of talks with anyone".

In response to Asif's speech, TTAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai said that all the responsible people were sitting in the parliament and the kind of challenges being faced by the country doesn't allow us to hurl taunts at each other.

"Instead," the TTAP chief said, "we should work together to take out the country from the current crises."

Achakzai while referring to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif's offer of across-the-board dialogue, including army, judiciary, journalists and others, is basically an urge to sit together and have mercy on the country, adding the party leader was saying one thing but many others were saying different things.

"Talks will be held, and they should be held, not because we should make others feel bad about something but to take the country out of the current crises."

The chief of the opposition alliance said that everyone, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, knows about the kind of elections that were held.

"Mr Speaker, I will hold talks with every institution, I will also talk to the establishment," Achakzai said, explaining that talks with the establishment will not be held to seek their guidance but to give them a passage for honourable retreat."

Achakzai, who heads PkMAP, said that all the political parties have to come together to tell the establishment that "you are our establishment; you are dear to us; but have mercy on us and stop", adding all the political parties and top leadership were united on one thing: the supremacy of the constitution.

He said the parliament should actually be made a true representative of the people's voice as only then the country's crisis would end.

Achakzai that Nawaz urged dialogue but some others were busy stabbing in the back, asking everybody to note that the current crises didn't come from the skies but were man-made.

Responding to Asif's remarks of nurturing in the lap of establishment, Achakzai questioned: "Who hasn't been nurtured in their lap," saying past mistakes should now be corrected. He regretted that Pakistan was blessed with all kinds of resources yet it was begging.

During the session, four bills, including the Apostille Bill, 2024, the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority Bill, 2024, the Establishment of Telecommunication Appellate Tribunal Bill, 2024, and the Privatization Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2024, were passed with a majority while the Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was sent to the committee concerned.

Meanwhile, heated words were exchanged between the defence minister and PTI-backed MNA Asad Qaiser.

Subsequently, the PTI-backed members surrounded the speaker's desk and started protesting against Asif's use of inappropriate words. The session was adjourned until 11:00am on Tuesday morning.