By SALIM SHAH HOTI
PESHAWAR - Chairman Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) Mehmud Khan Achakzai resolved to bring Pakhtuns to a single platform for the achievement of their rights.
Speaking at "Meet The Press Programme" Sunday at Peshawar Press Club, he claimed that Pakhtun nationalist leaders responded positively to his call for the proposed alliance for securing the rights of Pakhtuns. 
He deplored that since 1947 Pakhtuns had been deprived of their rights and the usurpers had still occupied the resources of Pakhtun in this era of democracy he added.
He branded Pakistan as a Punjabi imperialist state and alleged its rules had snatched all the resources of the small communities. He urged the Pakhtuns to discard their apologetic attitude and work jointly for the achievement of their rights. He observed that Pakistan was a multi-national state and Pakhtuns should be provided equal opportunities to make progress along with others.
Outlining the agenda for the Pakhtun's unity, he said that the authority over the resources, specification of the status of Pakhtun in Balochistan, the plight of Pakhtuns in Karachi and tribal belt, Kalabagh dam and mother tongue were the important issues for Pakhtuns. He proposed that a Pakhtun Jirga should be convened to address these issues. He contended that the intelligentsia and political parties must form a united front for mass resistance and in the second phase this front should form an alliance over provincial autonomy and democracy and stage mass protest demonstrations against the objectionable practices of ISI he continued.
He resented that the common people had been punished to death for the violation of section 144, which the generals were spared even for the abrogation of constitution, adding that the rule of law should equally be applied for all citizenry. Expressing grave concern over the plight of Pakhtuns, Mehmud Khan said that despite the electricity production in the Pakhtun's land half of its population was living in darkness, while the remaining had been charged heavily for power consumption.
He disagreed with a questioner that the Pakhtuns were united for disunity saying that they had struggled for hundred years against subjugation of colonial rulers. He said that the tribesmen had established civilised governments in India.
Lashing out at the PML government for the construction of Kalabagh dam, the Pakhtun nationalist leaders said that they would not accept the project. He ruled out consensus over Kalabagh dam saying that it was the matter of life and death for Pakhtuns therefore it was out of question. He criticised that Punjab had now occupied the waters of Pakhtuns after selling out its own rivers to India.
Rejecting the result of the national census, he termed it a total fraud. He said that PMAP had already boycotted the census because it believed that it should be carried out in supervision of a joint commission due to the prevailing tension between Baloch and Pakhtuns communities. He claimed that the Pakhtuns population was higher than Balochs.
He held Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) responsible for the disturbance in the region and condemned it for unlawful activities against his tribe.
He castigated Islamabad and Tehran for interference in the war-battered Afghanistan. He was also critical of some elements for their demand to bring peace in the neighbouring state through Pak-Iran efforts. He contended that if Iran and Pakistan were assigned any role for restoring peace in Afghanistan then Germany would also demand such a role in Poland which would be an infringement on the liberty of states. He asked UNO to stop foreign interference in the war-torn country and let the Afghans decide their own future.
He asserted that the current turmoil in the warring country proved me the sayings of Iqbal who had said that peace in Asia was linked with peace in Afghanistan. He added that the peace in Afghanistan was essential for the prosperity in the region. Senior Vice-chairman PMAP, Abdur Rahim Mandokhel, Senator Akram Shah and other party leaders were also present on the occasion.