ISLAMABAD: Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Mehmood Khan Achakzai on Wednesday extended “unconditional support” to the government in its efforts for peace in the Middle East.

Responding to Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar’s speech, in which he requested the opposition to defer its protest planned for Thursday, Achakzai said that in his speech on Tuesday, he had called for former premier Nawaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari and Imran to sit together in the current situation and move the country forward.

He said that he, along with Opposition Leader in the Senate Allama Nasir Abbas, would convince Imran to engage in political dialogue.

“I had also said earlier that we should not point fingers at each other. At the very least, we should agree on democratic principles,” he said.

“I don’t know why you people think we are mad. Only a mad person would not be happy with today’s success of Pakistan,” he said, lauding the government’s mediatory role in the Middle East crisis.

“We will provide you with unconditional support,” he said before declaring that the opposition was ready to hold talks with the government. He said the parliament should be the source of power and the centre of originating decisions and policies.

Achakzai said that US President Donald Trump had already stated that he had achieved his objectives in the war with Iran.

Amid desk-thumping, the opposition leader praised Iran, saying that Iran has upheld the honour of all Muslims. He also suggested that Trump should engage in dialogue with all nations.

“If we are to talk about destroying civilisations, then why do we criticise Adolf Hitler and Missoulini?” he asked.

He said Trump and Iran trusted Pakistan because they knew that whatever message would be conveyed would reach the other side effectively.

“Nature gave us an opportunity, and we handled it well,” he said.

PTI calls off April 9 protest

Separately, after holding talks with government representatives, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan returned to the lower house of Parliament and announced that, on Imran’s instructions, the party had decided to cancel its public gathering for Thursday.

“There come moments of unity in the life of nations. We appreciate all those who have played a role in achieving the ceasefire,” Gohar said. He said Pakistan had prevented the Muslim world from falling into internal conflict.

“We hope this ceasefire will turn into a permanent cessation of hostilities. We fully support peace negotiations,” the PTI chairman declared.

“Setting aside our grievances, we are moving forward for the sake of the country,” he added

“Today, our identity is linked to the founding chairman of PTI. 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 said.

He said Pakistan was going to host negotiations and a government delegation approached the opposition, and “we conveyed a positive message to them.”

Asif lauds Pakistan’s role in securing US-Iran ceasefire

During the session, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif lauded Pakistan’s role in securing a ceasefire between the United States and Iran.

“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,” he said.

Speaking about the unity of civilian and defence leadership in facilitating the peace, he said: “In the past, a lot of tragedies would have been prevented if the unity and understanding between the two cities [Rawalpindi and Islamabad] had been witnessed in the past.”

He lauded the vision of the civilian and defence leadership for initiating the relationship, saying its “dividends are in front of us in the form of victory over the eternal enemy” last year.

He said that “no one has a doubt on the victory” over India, mentioning remarks of the US president who “endorsed it” several times.

Giving reference to the country’s role in the US-Iran ceasefire, he congratulated the nation, saying “it is a historical moment” with several opportunities expected 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, adding these victories had become “our identity and they are a dividend of our unity, cohesion and synchronisation”.

He reiterated that the recent diplomatic success “is the vision of our leadership” and prayed that the “unity, the policies and synchronisation” would continue as they “are vital for the country’s life and survival”.

The defence minister added that the current achievement would have several dividends in the future, with a “new identity” for Pakistan.

“The leadership of Pakistan has the ability to stop an international feud generated by the Zionist regime — Israel. Pakistan can play the role of a facilitator,” he said, adding the Muslim world should “recognise that our eternal enemy is India and Israel”.

By the day’s end, a notification by the NA Secretariat said the president had prorogued the session, which was summoned on March 30.