MINGORA: Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai said here on Sunday that a peaceful Afghanistan was in the best interest of its neighbouring countries.

Addressing a convention of party workers at Wadudia Hall, Saidu Sharif, he said that about 50,000 Pakistanis were working in different sectors in Afghanistan where Dr Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai replaced Hamid Karzai as president in the country’s first democratic transfer of power since the ouster of Taliban by the US and its allied forces in 2001.

Mr Achakzai said that a peaceful Afghanistan could create a number of jobs for the people of Pakistan. The neighbouring country could turn into a big job market for Pakistan, he said, adding that government realised the importance of Afghanistan and it was going to invite the newly elected Afghan president and chief executive to visit Pakistan.

Mr. Achakzai said that Pakhtuns rendered a lot of sacrifices to safeguard the country. He said that Pakthuns were not terrorists but they were affected by terrorism. He said that they would not compromise on the rights of Pakhtuns.

The PkMAP leader said that they were supporting democratic system in the country as it was need of the hour to strengthen democracy. “We all should work for strengthening of Parliament where interior and foreign policies should be formed in a democratic way,” he said and added that they would not support establishment of provinces at divisional level.

Mr. Achakzai said that Pakhtuns should have their own province where their rights should be secured. He added that they would continue their struggle for the rights of Pakhtuns. PkMAP provincial president Mukhtiar Khan Yousafzai, Malik Riaz, Khurshid Kakaji, Dr Khalid Mehmood and other leaders of the party also spoke on the occasion. The workers of different political parties announced joining PkMAP.

CONFERENCE: An education conference was organised at Swat Press Club on Sunday by Tanzeem-i-Asatza Pakistan (TAP) that was attended by a large number of teachers.

Addressing the conference, TAP finance secretary Khairullah Hawari said that they would continue their efforts to safeguard the rights of teachers in the country. He added that they would also oppose any attempt to bring changes in the curriculum on the behest of anti-Muslims elements.

Mr Hawari said that provincial government should approve timescale for teachers and revise its decision about rationalisation policy. “The government should also restore quota for teachers’ sons and merge all ad-hoc reliefs into the basic salary,” he said.

TAP leaders Hameedul Haq, Malik Akhtar Ali, Shaukat Ali, Zulfiqar and Hafeezullah also spoke on the occasion. They demanded of the government to resolve the issues of teachers in the province.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2014