Most opposition members do not want Achakzai as leader, claims Tariq Fazal

• Chaudhry claims the opposition is divided over Mahmood Achakzai’s appointment as opposition leader.
• He says the emergency in 12 KP districts aims to combat terrorism without displacing residents.
• The minister rejects links between the emergency and mineral resources, while reiterating the government’s willingness to hold talks.

Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry has claimed that most opposition members do not want Mahmood Achakzai to become opposition leader, saying divisions persist within the opposition over the issue.

Speaking to the media on Sunday, Chaudhry called on Achakzai to appear before Parliament and clarify his position. He also urged Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to make his stance on terrorism clear.

The minister said the government remained open to negotiations and was prepared to engage in meaningful dialogue. Serious efforts by the opposition to initiate talks would be welcomed, he added.

Addressing the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Chaudhry said the emergency imposed in 12 affected districts was intended to eliminate terrorism and improve law and order.

He said intelligence-based operations were being stepped up, while maintaining that residents would not be displaced from the affected areas. He added that the provincial government’s administrative authority would be established in those districts.

Chaudhry rejected attempts to link the emergency to KP’s mineral wealth, describing such claims as condemnable. The province’s mineral resources belonged to its people and would remain their property, he said.

He added that transparent investigations would be conducted into the issuance of mineral licences and urged political stakeholders to support efforts to restore peace.

The minister also accused the KP government of corruption and said political parties should avoid undermining ongoing counterterrorism measures.