Achakzai warns of PTI exit from assemblies

TTAP chief signals boycott over Imran's treatment

Opposition Leader in the National Assembly and head of the Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP), Mehmood Khan Achakzai, on Monday signalled a potential political escalation, warning that the opposition alliance could withdraw from parliamentary forums if what he termed continued harsh treatment of former prime minister Imran Khan persisted.

Speaking to a private news channel, he cautioned that the situation in Parliament was reaching a breaking point.

"I fear that if the current attitude towards Imran Khan continues, we will not be able to stay in the assembly."

He questioned the legal and political basis of the cases against the former premier.

"What has he [Imran] done? Has he committed murders, as you are threatening that a 50-year prison sentence can be announced? He has only said that his snatched mandate should be returned to him. But you have been saying that a 50-year prison term can be announced."

He further criticised the idea of trying the former prime minister in a military court, asking pointedly: "You want to try him in a military court. Tell me if he is a general or a colonel," Achakzai said.

Linking the political deadlock to parliamentary functionality, he argued that legislatures had been rendered ineffective if even basic access to the jailed leader was not possible. He also indicated that the idea of a boycott was no longer hypothetical.

"If the PTI's central committee suggests quitting the assemblies in Punjab, Sindh and the Centre, and only running the government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it will be implemented," he said.

When asked whether he expected such a proposal from PTI's central leadership, Achakzai replied that the possibility was already visible.

When asked if he feared that the PTI central committee might suggest withdrawing from the assemblies, Achakzai responded: "I don't fear it, I can see it coming."

He added that the opposition had been left with increasingly limited political space, making withdrawal from legislative bodies appear less like a choice and more like an inevitability.

He said that the opposition had been left with no other option, so there was no question of whether withdrawing from the assemblies would be right or wrong.

"We will have no option but to withdraw from the assemblies and parliamentary committees."

He also alleged a deep contradiction in the country's justice system, claiming selective accountability.

He claimed that "criminals and murderers are free" in the country, while Imran had been kept in jail.

Achakzai maintained that the government itself was contributing to the push towards an opposition boycott, warning of the arithmetic consequences if PTI legislators stepped out of the system.

"There are 50 to 60 PTI seats in the assembly. What will you do if the PTI pulls out?" he asked.