Minister for Railways Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour Sunday said that instead of using delaying tactics, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz should adopt a clear stance on renaming of North West Frontier Province, expressing the desire that it should be "Pukhtoonkhwa."
"The PML-N needs to come up with a clear mindset in renaming the NWFP province. Awami National Party will be obliged to Mian Nawaz Sharif if he agrees on Pukhtoonkhwa," said the Railways Minister talking to the newsmen here.
He said three names are being mulled over for the province including Pukhtoonkhwa, Pukhtoonistan and Afghania, adding that in word Pakistan, named by Chaudhry Rehmat Ali, 'A' represents Afghania.
The minister said the PML-N leadership has no reservations on Pukhtoonkhwa and alleged that some of the party leaders are misguiding them in this regard, even that all of the MNAs of Muslim League-Nawaz support ANP's stance.
"We want to put "Pukhtoonkhwa" on Pakistan's map," otherwise, it may hurt the sentiments of the people. To a question, the minister said basically, Karachi belongs to Sindhis and Pukhtoons have gone there just for 'bread-earning'.
He said Punjab draws 12,000 cusecs water from Sindh River at Jinnah Barrage, 21,000 cusecs from Chashma Barrage and 12,000 cusecs from Taunsa Barrage that irrigates around 4,500,000 acres of land.
He further said Pukhtoonkhwa contributes 21,000 cusecs of water at Khairabad point in Indus River but since last 63 years, it received even less than half of its share in Dera Ismail Khan, adding that if it is given, it may irrigate 1,100,000 acres of land.
Categorically rejecting any minus-one formula, Bilour said President Asif Ali Zardari has been democratically elected with a heavy majority and said the anti-democratic forces must not initiate any move aimed at toppling the PPP-led coalition government as democracy has been revived through numerous sacrifices.
He lauded the positivism of the first-ever unanimously elected Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and said if the previous rulers too had adopted such course of reconciliation, the country could have easily been saved from martial law.
To a question, he said, "I don't think Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif could give a statement, asking Taliban to spare Punjab province from suicide attacks but if he did so, I oppose that."
Bilour said the ongoing war against terrorism is being fought for country's survival and supremacy of the Constitution. He said Taliban's repeated threats could not deter the determination of Awami National Party.
He pointed that the political leadership had consensus on 1973 constitution including Maulana Mufti Mehmood, Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani and Jamaat-e Islami had signed it when Maulana Maudoodi was alive.
Commenting on the performance of his ministry, he said since he took charge of the ministry, he decreased five percent of the fares despite increase in the fuel prices.
Railways Minister said there is an acute shortage of locomotives, adding that the sector was neglected in every political tenure but "this government is striving to make it a profitable entity and put it on track of prosperity." "During last 22 years, the ministry purchased 120 locomotives and many of those are out of order and require repairing. If the government continues extending co-operation, the railways could be revamped remarkably within two-years time," the minister concluded.
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