PESHAWAR: Awami National Party provincial president and former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti has warned that if the state continues to treat Pakhtuns as aliens in their own country, it will harm the unity of the federation.

He issued the warning during a function held here at the Bacha Khan Markaz, the ANP’s main offices, to welcome some Shangla politicians, who announced the joining of the party.

Mr Hoti told Dawn that the killing of two tribal youths in Karachi in the first two months of the current year and the charging of the people under the Anti-Terrorism Act for protesting strict examination at security checkposts in Swat had given rise to a sense of alienation among Pakhtuns and raising serious questions about their rights.

When asked how he will see the security agencies’ conduct towards Swat people’s recent peaceful protesters and towards a religio-political party, which blocked Islamabad roads for 21 days and hit policemen, he declared it discriminatory.

ANP leader asks state, govt not to treat Pakhtuns as aliens

“Wherever there is discriminatory behaviour, it is condemnable. If Pakhtuns are treated like others (aliens) in own country, we (ANP) condemn it. We appeal to the state and government not to treat Pakhtuns as aliens,” he said.

The ANP leader said the Pakhtuns strongly felt a sense of alienation and if that feeling grew, it would weaken the federation.

“Such issues will adversely affect our unity and therefore, the state and government should understand it and take corrective measures,” he said.

Mr Hoti said the state should resolve the people’s problems through talks and win their trust.

He said the state should realise its responsibility of building the people’s confidence in its institutions.

The ANP leader said from Karachi to Swat, Pakhtuns were suffering and the ANP strongly felt it.

“It is our pain. The government should deal with such problems by holding talks with the people and their leaders, bridge communication gap and build trust,” he said.

Mr Hoti said he didn’t criticise the government for the sake of criticism but genuinely felt that it was the prime responsibility of the government to address the grievances of Pakhtuns.

When asked about his responsibility as the leader of a nationalist party, which claims to be the voice of Pakhtuns, he said he condemned the discrimination against his community and appealed to the government and state institutions to remove the sense of alienation among it through effective measures.

ANP leader from Swat Wajid Ali Khan, who was also in attendance, called the recent police crackdown on six people in his hometown unjust.

He said Pakistan had become a security state, which saw everything from the security viewpoint.

“Such approach is unjust. The people took out a rally on an issue they faced. They’d no weapons and were peaceful. It was their basic human right to protest and raise voice on their issue,” he said.

Mr Wajid said the charging of six people leading the protest rally with terrorism was unjust.

He said it was not the Cold War era and instead, the current were democratic times in which the people had the right to express their views and demand provision of rights.

“Those arrested were just exercising their right to expression. The government should withdraw terror charges against them,” he said.

Meanwhile, Qaumi Watan Party leader in Shangla district Mutawakkal Khan announced the joining of the ANP along with supporters and sympathisers.

Mr Mutawakkal, who remained associated with the QWP for more than two decades, told a meeting in hometown that he had no issues with the Aftab Sherpao-led party but quit it after feeling that the people of his district were being neglected.

He said he had to join a party, which could help resolve his people’s problems, and the ANP was the best choice for it.

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2018