Pahtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) has announced they will hold county wide protests if MNA Ali Wazir is not released till December 16, party chairman Mahmood Khan Achackzai warned the government on Friday.
Achakzai made these remarks while addressing a mammoth public gathering in Ayub stadium in Quetta on Friday commemorating the 49th martyrdom anniversary of Khan Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai known as Khan Shaheed.
“Rao Anwar, the murderer of 440 citizens is roaming free but Ali Wazir has been behind bars for two years because of his politics”, Achackzai regretted.
He said that currently the whole world but particularly our region is passing through a critical juncture wrought with grave uncertainties, especially for the Afghan and Pakhtun people. Such a situation, he said, warrants ‘great unity among the Pakhtuns’, adding that history has dictated that if Pakhtuns ever faced defeat it was because of internal disunity.
“The world, particularly those who turned Afghanistan into the battle ground for their vested interests, is indebted to Afghanistan and should pay for its reconstruction and development, but not as aid and charity,” he thundered.
He further asked that if the world could hold Germany responsible as the initiator of war and destruction, why could it not do the same for those who destroyed Afghanistan the same way. “As far as the preservation of integrity and sovereignty of Afghanistan is concerned, I am its fierce advocate, foreign and interior minister, whatever you like to call it, come what may,” Achakzai affirmed.
“I also demand the UN Security Council to guarantee the integrity and sovereignty of Afghanistan. Similarly, Afghanistan and Pakistan should also adhere to the principles of non-interference in each other’s affairs and ensure bilateral peace and security on the basis of peaceful co-existence,” Achakzai added. He said that if the territorial integrity of Afghanistan is threatened, it will have its fallout on other states of the region too.
Achakzai proposed that dual nationality should be granted to the Pakhtun and Baloch who live adjacent on both sides of the Durand Line. Similarly, custom houses should be established on seven points on the line to facilitate legal trade. “We will have no other option but to recourse to International Court of Justice if any State deprive us of legal right to earn our livelihood through lawful trade,” he said.
Regarding the current political and economic crises faced by Pakistan, Achakzai proposed a round table conference of all stakeholders to turn Pakistan into a true democracy, wherein the constitution is supreme and the parliament is sovereign. “I believe in a democratic Pakistan wherein the identity, due constitutional, economic and cultural rights of every nationality is guaranteed.”
Achakzai also demand the unification of Pakhtuns of southwest and northwest along with Pakhtun regions of Attack and Mianwali into a single federating unite. “I will salute to anyone, if it is judge or general, who believe in such Pakistan and respect the supremacy of constitution and elected parliament,” he said.
The former MNA called upon the masses to give due respect and rights to women. “If you don’t send your daughters to school, how can we produce women doctors, pilots and scholars and leaders?” he asked. He also urge Taliban to ensure women access to education by removing all bans and barriers in its way, as Islam has given them this right 1400 years ago.
Achakzai also subtly touched on the topic of polygamy and said that just for the sake of sexual gratification you justify second marriage on the basis of Sunnah, but ignore the rights of women which are also ordained by the same tenets of Islam.
Nawab Ayaz Khan Jogezai, Rouf Lala and Dr Mohmmad Ali also addressed the gathering.
