Opposition agrees to set differences aside and fight it out in Parliament

ISLAMABAD: The country’s fractious opposition on Tuesday agreed, at least for now, to bury its differences and take its fight to parliament, a tactical truce that will test whether parties more accustomed to street politics can stay united on the floor of the house.

At their first joint parliamentary meeting, opposition parties agreed to coordinate positions on major national issues and make Parliament the principal arena for their political battle, rather than immediately returning to the streets.

The gathering, chaired by the opposition leader in National Assembly Mehmood Khan Achakzai, brought together an unlikely coalition of leaders, including Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the opposition leader in Senate Raja Nasir Abbas and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) acting chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan.

The uneasy alliance was united less by ideology than by a shared grievance: what Achakzai described as the suffocation of democratic politics and the erosion of Parliament’s authority.

Addressing the meeting, Achakzai bluntly warned the military and intelligence agencies against overstepping their constitutional mandate, saying any failure to do so would leave the opposition with little choice but to intensify its political confrontation.

He also challenged politicians to confront their own role in the erosion of civilian institutions, urging them to stop repeating the bargains and compromises that had weakened Parliament, the judiciary and the press.

“We will all salute you if you recognise the supremacy of the Constitution and its domain,” he said, making clear that any confrontation would be political, not personal.

He called on political leaders to learn from their past and pledge never again to support an “undemocratic adventurer” who violates the Constitution.

“If Parliament’s supremacy has been weakened, the Constitution distorted, and curbs imposed on the judiciary and press, it is because of our own votes,” he said.

Achakzai urged opposition lawmakers to accept responsibility for those decisions and vowed that they would not be repeated.

He also demanded that longstanding grievances in North and South Waziristan, among the Mahsud and Afridi tribes, and in Bajaur and Tirah be addressed with the participation of the people living there rather than imposed from above.

Turning again to the security establishment, he argued that military and intelligence institutions in other countries operated under clearly defined mandates and said Pakistan’s institutions should be held to the same constitutional standard.

“For God’s sake, have mercy on Pakistan and its people,” he said, urging the security agencies to concentrate on their official responsibilities and remain within the constitutional framework.

Achakzai defended the right to peaceful protest, demanded the release of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and other political prisoners, and condemned the imprisonment of thousands of people for exercising what he called their constitutional right to assemble.

The opposition, he said, had already found common cause in resisting political repression. Its next challenge was to turn that grievance into an effective parliamentary force.

The parties agreed to coordinate their positions on inflation, law and order, the judiciary, the economy, terrorism, political prisoners and the proposed creation of new provinces.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, JUI-F chief FazlurRehman rejected proposals for new provinces and administrative units, saying the time was not right to redraw the country’s administrative map.

He warned that dividing provinces could fuel mistrust and uncertainty at a time of considerable political and economic strain.

Barrister Gohar said the parties had assured Fazlur Rehman that they would move forward together.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026