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• Opposition questions govt’s authority to initiate dialogue
• Speaker cautions Sheikh Waqqas over continued absence
• Talal insists no new military offensive in Bajaur
ISLAMABAD: Treasury members in the National Assembly relentlessly taunted and criticised the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday over its “failed protest call”, while renewing their offer for talks on national issues.
The dialogue offer was extended by government ministers and Speaker Ayaz Sadiq during a debate on the Kashmir issue, as the nation observed Kashmir Exploitation Day to mark the anniversary of India’s controversial Aug 5, 2019, amendment, which altered the disputed status of the region.
In response, PTI members welcomed the offer for talks but questioned the government’s authority to initiate dialogue.
Pressure mounted on PTI, already weakened by the disqualification of several of its lawmakers by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) following their convictions in the May 9 rioting cases, when the speaker issued a warning to PTI’s vocal MNA from Jhang and the party’s information secretary, Sheikh Waqqas Akram.
Mr Akram was cautioned that his seat could be vacated for being absent from the House for 40 consecutive sittings without prior notice.
PTI’s Chief Whip Aamir Dogar protested the speaker’s warning, claiming that Mr Akram had regularly submitted leave applications.
Achakzai slams PPP
The most hard-hitting speech came from Mehmood Khan Achakzai, chief of the Pashtoonkhwa Mili Awami Party (PkMAP), who declared Imran Khan as the “greatest leader” and criticised the speaker for not taking a stand to defend the members of the House.
Mr Achakzai said that the opposition had no enmity with the armed forces, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif or PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, stressing that they should all apologise for their past roles, move forward after pardoning each other and start new politics.
The PkMAP chief specially targeted the Pakistan Peoples Party, stating that he felt sorrow after seeing the PPP supporting the government in “violating” the Constitution.
Responding to Mr Achakzai’s speech, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq stressed the need for political dialogue among all parties, reiterating that both the prime minister and government ministers had already offered talks. “We will have to sit together if we want to resolve Pakistan’s issues. You all will have to do negotiations,” he said.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar also called for meaningful dialogue between all political forces to address the country’s national challenges. He stressed that differences should be resolved through consensus, not confrontation.
Sardar Latif Khosa, another firebrand PTI MNA, termed it a welcome offer, but said it had come after wrongfully denying reserved seats to the opposition.
‘No new military operation’
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry clarified that no new military offensive was being launched in Bajaur or any other region. However, he insisted that both armed and non-armed components of the National Action Plan (NAP) were still in effect.
He emphasised that political backing for security forces was crucial in combating terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
The minister expressed satisfaction over the recent cooperation with Iran, following the visit of the Iranian president.“
Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2025
