06 February 2004	Friday	14 Zilhaj 1424

QUETTA, Feb 5: Pukhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief and MNA Mahmood Khan Achakzai has criticized the MMA leadership for supporting the 17th amendment to the Constitution.

Speaking at a public meeting held at Pishin on Thursday the Pukhtun nationalist leader said that the Centre should adopt a realistic approach towards the problems of the people and the smaller nationalities to steer the country out of the current imbroglio.

He criticized the MMA saying that on the one hand it was against President Gen Pervez Musharraf's policies on Taliban and Al Qaeda and on the other had supported him to carry on with the dictatorial rule by clearing the way for 17th Constitutional amendment.

The PMAP leader said that the country was facing serious international and domestic crises and at such a juncture the federal government should take the smaller nationalities along with it.

He demanded that the government should frame the Constitution anew and give equal rights to all the federating units.

Referring to the nuclear scientists debriefing, Mr Achakzai said that only Dr A. Q. Khan was not involved in the nuclear proliferation, but the government was misleading the people by sparing army generals and ISI authorities to conceal the truth.

He lauded the efforts of the Afghan leaders for unanimously adopting the Constitution at Loya Jirga to bring peace and prosperity to the war-torn country.