KARACHI, Jan 3: The Awami National Party has expressed concern over rising tension between India and Pakistan and expressed the need to hold talks for resolving all contentious issues on the basis of Simla Accord and Lahore Declaration.
Pointing out that war instead of solving the issue creates enormous other problems for the people of the confronting countries, the party urged the world powers to play their role to ease the situation.
This demand was made in one of the resolutions adopted by a public meeting held under the auspices of ANP Sindh. The meeting was presided over by Qamoos Gul Khattak while Asfandyar Wali Khan was the chief guest.
“If war would be imposed on Pakistan, the party leaders and workers would play their role to defend the motherland”, the resolution added.
By another resolution, the meeting demanded formation of an autonomous election commission to enrol all eligible voters and called for holding of elections on party basis.
The party also called upon the government not to make any amendment in the Constitution without Parliament.
The meeting expressed concern over increasing prices, unemployment and violence and urged the government to take action against all those elements and organizations fanning violence and terrorism to create a congenial atmosphere for investment in the country.
By another resolution, the meeting criticized the oppressive and inadvertent attitude of the functionaries of Balochistan with fishermen from Sindh and urged the Balochistan’s governor to take notice of the treatment meted out to the fishermen of Karachi.
Referring to the situation in Afghanistan, the ANP regretted loss of life and property in the fraternal country and appealed to the comity of nations, particularly the rich countries, to help with open heart the uprooted people and play their role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan.
The meeting also expressed concern over arrest of innocent Pakistanis, Pakhtoons in particular, and demanded their immediate release and urged the government to institute cases against all those organisations which played up with the sentiments of the people and used them to pit Muslims against Muslims and Pakhtoons against Pakhtoons.
Earlier, addressing the meeting at Mecca Basti, ANP chief Asfandyar Wali advised the Indian rulers to stop their war-mongering policy and hold talks with Pakistan to solve all unresolved issues between the two countries.
Referring to the problems of Pakhtoons in Karachi, he called upon the authorities and Nazims to take necessary steps to provide basic facilities to Pakhtoons in their colonies.
