Awami National Party (ANP) Central President Senator Asfandyar Wali Khan has said that they were opposed to the President wearing military uniform and ruled out extension of any support to the government over the uniform of the president.
Speaking at the "Meet-the-Press" programme of Peshawar Press Club (PPC), he said those politicians were supporting the uniform issue who were facing cases in National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
"The elements whose corruption files are laying with the NAB have no option other than urging on the president to remain in military uniform," remarked the ANP chief.
He alleged that President Pervez Musharraf had set aside his seven-point agenda, announced by him after overthrowing the government of Nawaz Sharif.
Asfandyar said that the president was calling for the construction of big water reservoirs including controversial Kalabagh Dam.
Three provincial assemblies of the federation had passed resolutions against it, he said, adding: "The raising of such controversial issues is giving only one message that Punjab means Pakistan and Pakistan means Punjab."
Regarding the prevailing situation in Balochistan, the ANP chief alleged that Federal government after dividing main stream political parties had diverted its guns to the small and provincial-based parties.
After the completion of the mission in Balochistan, he said, the next target of the government would be either Sindh or the NWFP.
He said that despite the statement of Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, the rulers were not giving good treatment to the leadership of Pakistan Oppressed Nation's Movement (PONM).
Criticising the qualification criteria for the members of the parliament, Asfandyar said the purpose of the decision was no other than preventing the entry of the seasoned politicians to the legislative bodies.
He said the government was utilising all its energies on the elimination of the political parties, saying that the manner in which the minority of the former premier Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali was converted into majority was a shameful act.
Asfandyar said that the Federal government was giving worst kind of treatment to the NWFP, saying the net profit of Balochistan and Sindh over natural gas had directly converted into the Federal consolidated funds and then to provincial one. However, in case of the NWFP the procedure was totally different.
Regarding Pakistan-Indian relations, he said that negotiations was the only solution to all disputes with India, saying no political solution was possible without coming on table talks.
However, he said unfortunately our rulers had always preferred wars to peaceful negotiations.
Terming "Shimla accord" a binding document and peaceful solution to Kashmir dispute, Asfandyar said that before embarking on going to Shimla, late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto took unanimous vote of confidence from the National Assembly and on return put the agreement before parliament for debate.
He said that veteran leaders, including Abdul Wali Khan, Professor Ghafoor Ahmad, Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani, Mufti Mehmood and Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi supported the accord.
He said that if some one today violating that accord then they should once brought it to the parliament.
However, he said that like breaking promises with public the rulers were also giving no weightage to even international accords.
Regarding on going Wana Operation, Asfandyar Wali Khan said in unequivocal terms that neither Taleban nor al Qaeda were the products of Punkhtoon society rather they were the product of establishment.
He said that after coming US forces in Afghanistan, our rulers intentionally remained that particular border opened, where Nek Muhammad and Jalaluddin Haqqani welcomed those foreigners.
He reiterated his stand that they were neither guests of Pukhtoons nor Ahmadzai Wazir tribe, but the guest of establishment, saying that they had no concern with it. But, still government was pressuring tribals to arrest them. "Being guests of the establishment, the later itself should decide their fate," he added.
Replying a query, he alleged the rulers were presenting Pukhtoon as religious extremists, but majorities of such elements had been arrested from Faisalabad, Karachi and hometown of the Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.
Asfandyar Wali Khan said that till putting Afghanistan on track of peace and the acknowledgement of peace in that neighbouring country the maintenance of peace in the whole South Asian region was a difficult task. "Any change in Afghanistan affect whole region and will not make development till development of Afghanistan," he concluded.
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