The Awami National Party (ANP) has no militant wing because it believes in the philosophy of non-violence given by its founder Bacha Khan, president of the party’s Sindh chapter Senator Shahi Syed said on Sunday.

“The aim of our politics is to serve the public without any discrimination and this is how we do politics,” he remarked while addressing a public gathering at the KPT Ground in Keamari, soon after the MQM held its Pakhtun rally in Azizabad.

“The ANP has always followed the footsteps of Ahmed Shah Abdali, the founder of the Durrani dynasty in Afghanistan, and the party has no conflict with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).”

Syed appealed to the masses to prevent discrimination and use of weapons against Pakhtuns and also asked the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to play its role in this regard.

Lamenting that the government had failed to protect lives and properties of citizens, he demanded stern action against the miscreants responsible for the unrest in Karachi.

He said the ANP joined hands with the PPP to strengthen democracy in the country.

“The ANP has always join hands with other political parties to serve the country, not individuals.”

Referring to the MQM rally, Syed asked the media not to present the two public gatherings as a competition between the two parties.

The senator lauded the verdicts of Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry that “provided relief to the masses”.

However, he questioned as to why the chief justice, who had taken action against the chief executive of the country, not acting against those who had held him [chief justice] and the whole country hostage on his arrival in Karachi in the year 2007.

Syed said the heads of different departments including the Karachi Port Trust, the Port Qasim Authority and the Karachi Electric Supply Company should give up their ‘anti-Pakhtun’ policies.

“Our central leader has asked for school bags, not suicide jackets.” The Keamari Ward of the ANP had made the arrangements for the rally and people started gathering at the KPT Ground from 3pm, while the party’s leaders of ANP arrived at the venue after 5pm.

The main stage and the surrounding areas of the ground were decorated with party flags and banners. ANP activists had also arranged a standby power system to ensure that the speeches of their leaders and the coverage of the event remained uninterrupted.

During his speech, ANP Sindh General Secretary Bashir Jan said the politics of his party revolved around serving humanity without any discrimination on the basis of colour or creed.

“The democracy-loving people of all ethnicities attended the [ANP] rally to make it a successful event.”

Other ANP leaders said the rally was the “last nail in the coffin of fear and terror”. They believed that the party had shown its strength though the gathering.

Syed congratulated the activists of ANP PS-89 for successfully organising the event.

Many people, including activists of other parties and members of minority communities, announced joining the ANP at the event.

At the conclusion of the gathering, ANP leaders presented their party’s symbolic red caps to the new members and there was display of fireworks.