August 09, 2007	Thursday	Rajab 24, 1428

PESHAWAR, Aug 8: The British Pukhtuns Association on Wednesday appealed to the United Kingdom to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan and stop spending huge amount on military activities in the embattled country to bring a durable peace to the region.

Speaking at a press conference, BPA president Fazl Rabi said the Pukhtuns living in western countries had been affected by the bloody conflict and confrontation of western powers inside Afghanistan.

“Whatever is going on in the Pukhtun-dominated regions in Pakistan and Afghanistan sends wrong message to the world and brings a bad name to the Pukhtuns,” he said, adding that power should be transferred to the local people on the basis of their strength.“Pukhtun-dominated areas in the UK are facing a lot of problems after the 9/11 incident and the US-led war on terror,” Mr Fazl said, adding that Pukhtuns with surname Khan were being denied jobs.

The BPA has 500 members in different cities of Britain and is working for the welfare of the Pukhtun community, he said.

The association is financing health and education sectors in the NWFP and has provided computers to many schools in Swabi and Mardan districts. The BPA was also running a school in Battagram.

It has installed an X-ray machine worth Rs4 million and an anaesthesia equipment worth Rs3.5 million at the government-run hospital in Swabi district.