PESHAWAR: Members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) parliamentary group have strongly criticised Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, calling on both leaders to adopt a clear political course amid the party’s ongoing confrontation with the government.
Messages shared in the PTI parliamentary group called for the two leaders to clearly choose between negotiations and resistance, arguing that the party could no longer afford ambiguity in the current political situation.
PTI has already announced that it will begin its Islamabad long march from Peshawar on October 4.
According to messages circulated in the parliamentary group, Achakzai was given the position of opposition leader by PTI founder Imran Khan. Members questioned why he was neither making visible progress in negotiations with the government nor playing an active role in the party’s resistance politics.
Some members argued that if Achakzai could not play a practical role in either negotiations or resistance, he should consider stepping down from the position.
The parliamentary group also discussed a proposal to temporarily assign the opposition leader’s role to Barrister Gohar Khan to pursue negotiations and reconciliation efforts. According to the messages, if those talks fail, Junaid Akbar could potentially be given the responsibility to work alongside Sohail Afridi in the party’s resistance campaign.
Members also criticised Senate Opposition Leader Raja Nasir Abbas, questioning why there had been little progress on negotiations with the government despite earlier announcements and why he had not been visibly involved in protests or the planned long march.
In another message, Barrister Gohar Khan and Asad Qaiser were urged to provide practical leadership rather than merely extending moral support.
The members called for the party leadership to rise above personal differences and egos and adopt a clear strategy aimed at securing the release of Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi and other detained political leaders.
The criticism comes as PTI prepares for its announced October 4 long march, with divisions over negotiations and resistance emerging as a key issue within the party’s parliamentary ranks.
