Central leader of PML (N) and former Chief Minister NWFP, Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan has said on Monday that amendments in constitution were required for renaming the frontier province however, he opposed the idea of renaming the province on linguistic and ethnic basis.
"No person even the President has the power to bring amendments in the Constitution except the parliament," he said. Sardar Mehtab was talking to newsmen questioning him on changing name of the NWFP as Pakthunkhawa in Peshawar where he had come to receive his party Chief, Mian Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif.
Secretary General PML (N), Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Provincial President, PML (N) and former Chief Minister, Pir Sabir Shah and other party office bearers were present on the occasion. However, the visit by the Sharif brothers was cancelled due to bad weather.
"Changing the NWFP name as pakthunkhwa is not a big issue as the real issues are terrorism, suicide explosions, guarding and protecting the territorial sovereignty of the country from foreign aggression, unemployment, economy and poverty which needed government's special focus," said Mehtab.
The renaming on basis of ethnic and linguistic should be avoided, as it will create unrest among the non-pushtoons. The PML-N would present its point of view in the matter when the bill would be moved to this effect in the parliament. To another question about war against terror, he held it has complicated the issue and the government should take parliament into confidence before taking any decision in this regard.
After the landmark February 18 general elections in which the people have rejected the pro-dictatorial forces and voted in favour of democratic forces, he said that it was high time for reviewing policy on war on terror. The government's policy regarding war on terror is continuation of the policies of former President, Musharaf, he alleged.
The repeated violation of Pakistan's frontiers and sovereignty by US troops and strikes, are creating a sense of uncertainty among the people, he added. Further, he said that every patriotic Pakistani and parliamentarian should be taken on board beyond party politics while devising policy on war on terror, which reflects wishes and aspirations of the entire nation.