Achakzai urges Pakistan, India to act responsibly

SWABI: Chairman of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), Mehmood Khan Achakzai, on Saturday called on both Pakistan and India to demonstrate maturity and responsibility in their bilateral relations, urging them to refrain from what he described as “childish behavior.”

Addressing a public jirga here, Achakzai stated that the people of Pakistan and India cannot afford war. “Nuclear war is not a child’s play, and the world in this era will not allow it,” he remarked.

He emphasised that powerful and economically strong nations must refrain from seizing and looting the natural and mineral resources of weaker nations.

The veteran politician affirmed his belief in humanity, religious and ethnic harmony, and tolerance, and expected the same from others - that no individual or nation should be subjected to discrimination based on religion, color, or ethnicity. He called for an immediate end to the political, economic, and cultural exploitation of weaker nations.

Achakzai said that the Pashtun homeland, stretching from northwest to southwest Pakistan, spans approximately 124,000 square miles and is rich in natural resources and valuable minerals. “Contrary to international norms and best practices, Pashtuns are not being given their fair share of river water,” he added. He rejected the 1992 water distribution accord and demanded that a canal be constructed from the Indus River to supply water to the southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This, the seasoned politician said, would not only make the province self-sufficient in agricultural production and ensure food security but also enable it to supply produce to other provinces and export it.

He warned International powers and undemocratic regimes against colluding with authoritarian and non-representative governments to exploit the resources of weaker nations.

Achakzai stated that they opposed all forms of terrorism, and that stealing the people’s mandate at gunpoint in broad daylight is also a form of terrorism.

He added that Pakistan’s situation would only improve when the establishment and intelligence agencies cease interfering in politics and clear the path for constitutional, democratic, and parliamentary supremacy. He urged Pashtuns to resolve their internal family disputes through jirgas and to end cycles of enmity and bloodshed over minor issues.

Earlier, the public jirga saw a large attendance from members of various political parties, social organisations, and people from different walks of life.

The speakers openly discussed the challenges faced by the Pashtun nation, particularly regarding their resources, autonomy, and socio-political and economic rights.

In the first session of the jirga, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s central leader and former speaker of the national and provincial assembly, Asad Qaiser, and former Senator of Jamaat-e-Islami, Mushtaq Ahmed Khan, also addressed the gathering.

At the end of the jirga, a declaration was issued with the following demands:

Electricity produced from the Tarbela Hydropower Project should be provided to Swabi district at production cost; Swabi should be exempted from loadshedding; Unjust taxes imposed on tobacco should be abolished; Reforms should be introduced in tobacco marketing to maximize benefits for farmers.

Tobacco should be declared an agricultural commodity instead of an industrial commodity, and the right to collect tax on it should be handed over to the provincial government.