PESHAWAR, Nov 28: Six NWFP-based Pakhtoon parties and Pakistan Muslim League (N) here have joined hands seeking representation for all ethnic groups in the future broad-based setup of Afghanistan.

They have pleaded representation according to the ratio of their population.

The party chiefs of all these Pakhtoon parties and central leaders of PML (N) said they had grouped together on just one point — the mutually agreed stand on the Afghan crisis and its best possible solution. However, except PML (N), leaders and heads of all Pakhtoon nationalist parties, who jointly held a Press conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Wednesday, parried many questions concerting the independent stand of their respective parties on US attacks in Afghanistan and the Pakistan government’s support to the allied forces.

In a departure from their past stand, when they had been accusing Pakistan of interfering in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, none of the Pakhtoon nationalist leaders, present at the Press conference, repeated their previous stance.

“We want an end to foreign interference in Afghanistan, by all those, like American-led coalition countries, or whosoever is involved there,” said Asfandyar Wali without naming Pakistan in answering a question about the Pakhtoon leaders’ point of view on Pakistan’s involvement.

They said their joining hands together was just meant to raise voice for an amicable solution to Afghan crisis, which should be based on justice.

“Wherever we have to go to talk to the quarters concerned or raise voice, we would do so jointly under our minimum common programme that has brought us together on one platform in raising the voice for the Pakhtoons living on the other side of the Durand Line,” said Asfandyar Wali, adding that “in spite of difference of approach and thinking all these political parties have decided to work jointly for the common Afghan cause.”

Pir Sabir Shah, who was more vocal among leaders present on the occasion, asked for an immediate halt to the US airstrikes in Afghanistan as, he added, “not only that the Taliban are being killed, thousands of innocent civilians and a large number of Northern Alliance fighters have also been killed due to ruthless bombing by the allied forces”.

The mutually agreed two-page document in Pushto script, was read by the president of his own faction of Pakhtoonkhawa Qaumi Party (PQP), Afzal Khan.

At the Press conference, he was flanked by Asfandyar Wali Khan, chief of the ANP; Ajmal Khattak, chief of National Awami Party Pakistan; Fanoos Gujar, chief of Pakistan Awami Party, Afzal Khamosh, chief of Communist Mazdoor Party; Sikandar Sherpao, leader of PPP (Sherpao group). Saranjam Khan, general secretary PML(N) and Pir Sabir Shah represented their factions of PML.

 Nisar Mohammed Khan, of PML (Q), left the conference after developing some difference of opinion over the issue of his party’s stand on the government’s role in Afghan crisis.

The Pakhtoon nationalist leaders emphasized the need for giving greater share to Pakhtoons in the planned broad-based setup for Afghanistan.

“In accordance with the 1971 census, the last held census in Afghanistan, Pakhtoons formed 72 per cent of the total population of the country hence, they demanded that they should be given representation according to that ratio.

They demanded of the UN to deploy its peacekeeping forces and carry out demilitarization of Kabul and all other cities of Afghanistan; Loya Jirga (traditional grand assembly of elders) be convened under its auspices on emergency basis at Kabul; the Loya Jirga convened so, should form an interim government/national armed forces and state organs like police be established; the Jirga should also take steps to give Afghanistan a constitution.

Besides, they called upon the UN to support the interim government, stopping foreign interference in Afghanistan and facilitating Afghans to exercise their right to self-determination.

They also demanded of the UN to ensure a major development package, in line with the Marshal Plan, for carrying out reconstruction and rehabilitation inside Afghanistan and areas adjacent to it so that terrorism and fundamentalism could be eradicated and tolerance, peace and progress could return to that country.

“We the Pakhtoons in Pakistan, therefore, strongly urge and demand that the UN should take immediate steps and measures for the  above-mentioned objectives,” concluded  the   document.