ISLAMABAD : Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Mehmood Khan Achakzai refuses to resign as Opposition Leader following alleged demands made by a high-level committee of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) during a late-night meeting.
Addressing close associates after a meeting of his movement, Tehreek Tahafuz-e-Aeen, late Sunday night, the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief made it clear that he would only step down if asked by the person who nominated him.
“If the individual in Adiala Jail who nominated me as the Leader of the Opposition asks me to resign, I will step down immediately,” he stated.
Mr. Achakzai, who is the sole parliamentarian from his party in the National Assembly, was appointed as the Leader of the Opposition in January by Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq after a prolonged legal and procedural conflict over his credentials.
He was nominated for the post by the founder of PTI, who remains incarcerated due to criminal convictions.
Internal tensions between the opposition factions escalated after Mr. Achakzai abstained from participating in the long march led by the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which ultimately led to the end of PTI’s 13-year governance in the province.
According to sources, PTI-backed independent lawmakers were sharply divided over the decision to organize the long march and its final destination.
Despite growing friction, Mehmood Khan Achakzai refuses to resign as Opposition Leader unless explicitly instructed by the PTI founder.
It is worth mentioning that Mehmood Khan Achakzai is leading an poltical alliance named as ‘Tehreek e Tahafuz Aain e Pakistan, mainly asking reforms in elections, claiming the prison of Imran Khan as political victimization.
Mehmood Khan Achakzai has also opposed the repatriation of Afghan nationals illegally residing in Pakistan.
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Moreover , the TTAP leader has also opposed the ongoing operations in KP in the past many years.
