PESHAWAR: Leaders of various political parties have strongly condemned what they called the racial profiling and harassment of Pakhtuns by the Punjab police following the recent wave of terrorist attacks in the country.

Awami National Party’s provincial general secretary MPA Sardar Hussain Babak said here on Sunday that a resolution would be adopted in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly against the ‘derogatory attitude’ of Punjab government towards Pakhtuns. He said that being citizens of Pakistan everyone had the right to visit and stay in any part of the country. MPA Syed Jaffar Shah said that the ANP would not remain silent on this issue.

ANP-Wali president Naseem Wali Khan said in a statement that the fresh operation seemed to be against Pakhtuns, especially in Punjab. “Nawaz Sharif should stop the anti-Pakhtun action otherwise our party will hold a protest rally outside the Parliament House and raise the issue at all levels,” she warned.

Ask centre to call APC on law and order situation

Qaumi Watan Party’s provincial chairman Sikandar Sherpao said that his party had already asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to help stop such acts which could harm the federation. He said that none of the provincial governments had the right to use state force on the basis of language.

Pakistan Peoples Party leader Syed Ayub Shah said that teasing Pakhtuns in the name of checking was tantamount to hatching a conspiracy against federation. He said it was the duty of PML-N to stop spreading hatred. He also suggested calling APC on law and order situation to ensure protection to people in different provinces.

JUI-F provincial secretary information Maulana Abdul Jalil Jan described the anti-Pakhtun action in Punjab as a conspiracy against the federation. He said that the government should convene an all-party conference to share views as to who was behind this conspiracy.

JI provincial chief Mushtaq Ahmed Khan said that his party had conveyed its reservations to the federal government through Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra and if the anti-Pakhtun action was not stopped they would hold a protest demonstration outside the Punjab CM’s House.

Former provincial minister Wajid Ali Khan said that terrorist training centers were pointed out in parts of Punjab while action was taken against Pakhtuns, which was lamentable. He urged the prime minister and Punjab chief minister to help stop the police violence against Pakhtuns.

PML-N Peshawar district president Abdul Sattar Khalil asked the KP governor to play his role for amicable solution of the issue and ensure protection of Pakhtuns in Punjab.

Town-III nazim Arbab Mohammad Ali told this correspondent that the people had been rendered jobless and subjected to violence for the only reason that they were Pakhtuns. The nazim, who is associated with Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, claimed that his party had brought many Punjabi officials to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and alleged that the PML-N had launched an ‘operation clean-up’ against Pakhtuns.

The nazim feared that if the violence against Pakhtuns was not stopped immediately it would lead to the worst kind of hatred among the provinces. He also asked the KP government to take up the issue with the Punjab government to stop the harassment of Pakhtuns.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2017