PESHAWAR: Pakistan People’s Party has condemned police action against Pakhtuns in Punjab and asked Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to apologise to the nation for it calls the unconstitutional step.

Addressing a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Monday, PPP provincial president Eng Mohammad Humayun Khan said that action against Pakhtuns in Punjab was tantamount to a conspiracy against the federation.

He said that PPP had convened a multi-party conference on the issue of military courts wherein police action against Pakhtuns would also be discussed. He said that violence against Pakhtuns had caused unrest among people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and even in different countries. It seemed as if Pakhtuns were not citizens of the country, he added.

Flanked by PPP former provincial president Syed Zahir Ali Shah, Syed Ayub Shah, MPA Nighat Orakzai, Azam Afridi, Zulfiqar Afghani and Khwaja Yawar Naseer, Mr Khan recalled the sacrifices rendered by Pakhtuns for restoration of peace and said that federal government’s unilateral decisions were beyond imagination.

PPP leader says issue to be discussed in multi-party conference

He said that PPP’s policy against anti-state elements was clear and that’s why its top leadership was targeted by terrorists. He said that use of law enforcement agencies on racial basis would be harmful for the country.

The PPP leader said that Punjab government should seek apology over that unconstitutional step to avoid hatred against Punjab. He said that PML-N leadership should avoid working on the agenda of hatred and adopt policies to control terrorism and develop the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Syed Zahir Ali Shah said that police action against Pakhtuns was an attempt to sabotage the recently launched military operation. He said that government should try to promote harmony among citizens instead of creating polarisation on ethnic basis.

Mr Shah said that many Punjabi speaking people were living in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and would remain in the province with love and harmony. He said that chief of army staff should take notice of that illegal action to redress grievances of Pakhtuns.

MPA Nighat Orakzai blamed Shabaz Sharif for using police against Pakhtuns to divert attention of the nation from Panama case. She said that if Punjab police continued violence against Pakhtuns then the entire responsibility would rest with Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif and Chaudhry Nisar in case of any harm to the country’s solidarity.

Meanwhile, Pakhtunkhwa Olasi Tehreek, an organisation of workers of various political parties, held a protest demonstration outside Peshawar Press Club on Monday and chanted slogans against Punjab government.

The protesters were holding banners and placards inscribed with demands to stop anti-Pakhtuns action and save the country’s solidarity.

Speaking on the occasion, POT chairman Dr Said Alam Mehsud said that chauvinistic policies of Punjab government would harm the country.

He said that it was lamentable that federal government negated sacrifices of Pakhtuns for protection of the country since its inception.

He strongly criticised ANP president Asfandyar Wali Khan and PkMAP chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai for their failure to take firm stand on the issue of Pakhtuns’ expulsion from Punjab.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2017