By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: In a striking display of cross-party unity rarely seen in Pakistan’s polarised parliament, the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly on Wednesday offered the government unconditional support for its diplomatic efforts to help secure a ceasefire between the United States and Iran, while the main opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, abruptly canceled a major protest rally scheduled for the following day.
The moves came during an emotional session of the National Assembly, where lawmakers from across the political spectrum praised what they described as a historic diplomatic achievement by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government and the country’s military leadership. The session showed a temporary pause in domestic political hostilities as Pakistan positioned itself at the center of efforts to de-escalate conflict in the Middle East.
Mehmood Khan Achakzai, the opposition leader in the lower house, rose to respond to a plea from Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, who had asked the opposition to defer a planned protest on Thursday. Achakzai declared that his party would instead provide the government with “unconditional support” in its peace efforts.
Recalling his own remarks in the chamber the previous day, Achakzai said he had urged former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari and imprisoned former premier Imran Khan to come together “in the current situation and move the country forward.” He added that he and Allama Nasir Abbas, the opposition leader in the Senate, would work to persuade Khan to engage in political dialogue. “I had also said earlier that we should not point fingers at each other,” Achakzai told the assembly. “At the very least, we should agree on democratic principles.”
He went on to express bemusement at any suggestion that the opposition would withhold praise for the government’s success. “I don’t know why you people think we are mad,” he said. “Only a mad person would not be happy with today’s success of Pakistan.” Achakzai specifically lauded the government’s mediatory role in the Middle East crisis, declaring that the opposition was ready to hold talks with the ruling coalition. “We will provide you with unconditional support,” he said, before emphasising that parliament must remain “the source of power and the centre of originating decisions and policies.”
Amid desk-thumping from lawmakers, he praised Iran for having “upheld the honour of all Muslims” and suggested that Trump should pursue dialogue with all nations rather than escalation. “If we are to talk about destroying civilisations, then why do we criticise Adolf Hitler and Mussolini?” he asked. The opposition leader concluded by observing that both Trump and Iran had placed trust in Pakistan as a reliable intermediary. “Trump and Iran trusted Pakistan because they knew that whatever message would be conveyed would reach the other side effectively,” he said. “Nature gave us an opportunity, and we handled it well.”
PTI Cancels Thursday Rally After Government Talks
Separately, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, announced that his party had called off its planned public gathering for April 9 after holding talks with government representatives. Returning to the floor of the National Assembly, Gohar said the decision had come on direct instructions from Khan, the party’s founder and former prime minister. “There come moments of unity in the life of nations,” Gohar told the house. “We appreciate all those who have played a role in achieving the ceasefire.”
He said Pakistan had prevented the Muslim world from falling into internal conflict and expressed hope that the temporary truce would evolve into a permanent cessation of hostilities. “We fully support peace negotiations,” he said. “Setting aside our grievances, we are moving forward for the sake of the country.”
Gohar acknowledged ongoing party grievances even as he set them aside for the national interest. “Today, our identity is linked to the founding chairman of PTI,” he said, referring to Khan. “The founding chairman of PTI has an eye condition, yet doctors of his own choice were not allowed to treat him. Even our leader’s wife has been imprisoned despite being innocent.” He added that Pakistan was preparing to host negotiations and that a government delegation had approached the opposition, to which the party had conveyed “a positive message.”
Defence Minister Hails Civilian-Military Unity and Global Praise
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, addressing the same session, offered an expansive assessment of Pakistan’s diplomatic achievement, praising what he described as unprecedented coordination between the civilian government and the military establishment. “European countries, our brotherly Muslim countries, our friends in the region and beyond, all are praising our leadership — Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir,” Asif said.
He highlighted the importance of unity between “the two cities” — a reference to Rawalpindi, the garrison headquarters of the military, and Islamabad, the seat of civilian power. “In the past, a lot of tragedies would have been prevented if the unity and understanding between the two cities had been witnessed in the past,” he said.
Asif credited the joint vision of civilian and defence leadership with delivering tangible results, including what he called “victory over the eternal enemy” the previous year. He said there was “no one has a doubt on the victory” over India and noted that President Trump had “endorsed it” on several occasions.Turning to the immediate diplomatic breakthrough, Asif called the cease-fire “a historical moment” that would open numerous opportunities in the coming days. “The entire world is praising [Pakistan’s efforts], [even those] countries who do not know the location of Pakistan on the map,” he said. These successes, he added, had become “our identity and they are a dividend of our unity, cohesion and synchronisation.”
The defence minister described the recent achievement as “the vision of our leadership” and offered a prayer that the current “unity, the policies and synchronisation” would continue, calling them “vital for the country’s life and survival.” He predicted that the moment would yield “several dividends in the future, with a ‘new identity’ for Pakistan.” Asif went further, asserting that Pakistan’s leadership possessed the capacity to help halt broader regional conflicts. “The leadership of Pakistan has the ability to stop an international feud generated by the Zionist regime — Israel,” he said. “Pakistan can play the role of a facilitator.” He urged the Muslim world to recognize that “our eternal enemy is India and Israel.”
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