Army's role from politics should be eradicated: Achakzai
26 June, 2012
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| QUETTA: Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party President Mahmood Khan Achakzai addressing to the public meeting. |
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QUETTA: Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai has said that eradicating the role of army and intelligence agencies from politics and signing a new social contract that ensures equal rights to all nationals living in the country is the only way to secure the country.
Addressing a mammoth public gathering at Sadiq Shaheed Ground on Monday, he said that Pakhtuns should be treated as equal citizens of the country.
"Our struggle is not aimed at breaking up Pakistan; rather we want all nationalities, including Pakhtuns, Baloch, Saraiki, Sindhi and Punjabis, to be given equal rights," he said, adding that Pakhtuns would never accept any force on their land, which consisted of 150,000 square kilometres.
Achakzai regretted that the country was stuck in crises and receiving threats from every corner, "thus, it was indispensable that the role of army and intelligence agencies should be eradicated from politics, and through a new social contract, all nationalities should be given equal rights and power on their own resources".
"PkMAP wants to eradicate injustices, bribery and corruption from the country and all issues should be tackled democratically, instead of pushing the country into crises," he added.
Achakzai said that his party was being criticised over boycotting the general elections, but nobody was paying attention towards the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and 36 other parties which were part of the All Parties' Conference in London, who had promised that they would boycott the elections until the independence of judiciary, removal of Pervez Musharraf and action against the responsible of May 12 incident.
"But soon after smelling power, Nawaz Sharif, Asfandyar Wali, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and other leaders took part in elections, and despite a lapse of four years, they could not let go of it," he added.
The PkMAP chief said that MQM leader Altaf Hussain, in his telephonic speech, talked about peace, but "how could we forget the murder of 50 people on May 12, the lawyers burning alive, and other cruelties"?
"If the killings of innocent people were not stopped in Karachi, it would lead the country to destruction," he remarked.
He said that Pakhtuns living in Balochistan should be given equal rights in educational institutions, parliament and all other sectors, besides kidnapping of Pakhtun drivers should be stopped, "otherwise a third party would benefit if we (Baloch-Pakhtun) started a scuffle. We can announce formation of a Pakhtun province and we are waiting for the decision of the Pakhtun Jirga. We do not accept to become the second-class citizens in the province," he said.
Referring to the Tribal Areas, he said that the dream of bringing peace in Bajaur and Waziristan could not be materialised until and unless the army and foreigners were withdrawn from there and the Pakhtun nation empowered on its lands.
"Some people talk of jihad. If they are fond of jihad, they should go with me to Afghanistan and meet main Mujahidins, including Gulbuddin Hekmatyarr Pir Sibghatullah Mojaddedi, and if they allow for jihad, I will also help you people."
Achakzai said that Pakistan should support Afghans in restoring peace in Afghanistan, "since peace there would benefit all of us".
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