KOHAT, April 21: Chief of Pukhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party Mahmood Khan Achakzai has demanded immediate return of army to barracks, and said that successive military takeovers have ruined all institutions, especially judiciary.

He said that army coups had made the nation a laughing stock in the world. He said that besides Gen Pervez Musharraf all serving and retired military officers holding posts in public sector organisations should quit.

Addressing PMAP workers at the inauguration of the party’s district secretariat here on Friday, he said that Pukhtoon parties were not against the federation but wanted an end to their exploitation and their due share in natural resources.

He pointed out that the centre earned billions of rupees every year from hydel power, natural gas and tobacco crop but paid only peanuts to smaller provinces. He said that the hydel electricity was being generated at a cost of 80 paisas per unit and sold at Rs5 per unit but the NWFP had been denied its share in the profit.

Similarly, he said, water was being used by Punjab whereas millions of acres of land were lying barren in the NWFP. In vast areas, even drinking water was not available, he added.

He said the present government included influential and corrupt politicians who could not be held accountable.

He said that the law and order situation in the country was bad, people were suffering due to spiralling prices of essential commodities and unemployment among the educated youth was at its peak. These problems could be solved only by a political government. He said that people had been extremely disappointed by religious parties. He advised Pukhtoon people to unite on one platform to get their rights.

The function was also addressed by former senators Bashir Khan Matta and Akram Khan and party’s Bannu president Dilawar Kha and Kohat chief Pir Kashif.