• Lawmakers hail govt’s efforts; Achakzai extends ‘unconditional support’, vows he will convince Imran about dialogue
• Asif says achievement to yield several dividends in future, shape ‘new identity’
• National Assembly, Senate sessions prorogued due to security measures for Iran-US talks
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Wednesday witnessed a rare government-opposition unity as the lawmakers from across the divide lauded Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership for the efforts to secure a ceasefire between the United States and Iran.
Amid praises for Pakistan’s mediatory role in the Middle East crisis, Opposition Leader Mehmood Achakzai extended “unconditional support” to the government in its efforts for the upcoming peace talks in Islamabad.
All the speakers termed it a historic occasion for Pakistan and praised the leadership, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Field Marshal Asim Munir for their efforts to broker peace in the region.
PTI interim chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan announced the party’s decision to cancel its planned protest on Thursday as a goodwill gesture after brief negotiations with a government team at the opposition’s lobby.
Mr Achakzai said that he had already called for a political dialogue among the country’s leadership, including Nawaz Sharif, President Asif Zardari and Imran Khan, adding that he, along with Opposition Leader in the Senate Allama Nasir Abbas, would convince Imran Khan to engage in 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, adding that they should ask the “establishment” to provide them some space.
“I don’t know why you people think we are mad. Only an insane 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 parliament should be the source of power and the centre of originating decisions and policies.
Referring to the ceasefire, Mr Achakzai said 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 had upheld the honour of all Muslims. He said the US 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.
Speaking on the occasion, Barrister Gohar said Pakistan was going to host negotiations and a government delegation approached the opposition, and “we conveyed a positive message to them.”
“Setting aside our grievances, we are moving forward for the sake of the country,” he added.
‘New identity’
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said all the countries in the world were praising Pakistan’s leadership.
“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”.
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.”
The defence minister added that the current achievement would yield several dividends in the future, with a “new identity” for Pakistan.
Kh Asif urged critics abroad to refrain from spreading negativity against Pakistan, stressing that protecting the country’s reputation is a collective responsibility of all Pakistanis. He called on Pakistan’s top political leaders to rise above party differences and focus on the country’s democratic priorities.
PTI’s Ali Muhammad Khan recalled the national unity demonstrated during the Pakistan-India war in May last year, when both the government and opposition stood together and delivered a unified response. He said the current situation posed an even greater challenge, pointing to what he described as ongoing aggression by Israel against Muslims, particularly in the Gaza Strip, as well as actions targeting the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Highlighting Pakistan’s stance during recent tensions involving Iran and the US, he appreciated that political and religious parties in Pakistan had set aside their differences and stood in solidarity with Tehran.
NA, Senate sessions prorogued
In a late development, President Asif Ali Zardari prorogued the sessions of the National Assembly and the Senate scheduled for Thursday due to strict security measures ahead of the US-Iran talks in the capital.
During the NA sitting, Kh Asif had announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would brief parliament on Thursday.
Legislative business
The National Assembly also passed two bills. The bills passed included the Pakistan Infrastructure Development and Assets Management Authority Bill and the Carriage by Air (Amendment) Bill 2026.
Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2026