PESHAWAR: Khan Abdul Qayyum Khan, President of the All-Pakistan Muslim League, said here yesterday [Feb 23] that the future Constituent Assembly was the proper authority to rename the former Frontier Province.

Talking to newsmen here, he refuted the allegation that he had ever claimed Khan Abdul Wali Khan, President of the National Awami Party, as his leader. What he had said, the APML chief pointed out, was that since the NAP and the then Quaid-i-Azam Muslim League demanded dismemberment of One Unit, therefore their stand on the issue was “common”.

Commenting on the pre-conditions put forth by Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, the former Red Shirt leader, for his return to Pakistan, Khan Abdul Qayyum remarked that his “return or no return” to Pakistan would not make any impact on the constitutional and economic problems confronting the nation.

About the proposal for zonal federation in West Pakistan after the disintegration of One Unit of Mr Mahmud Ali Kasuri, chief of the Provincial National Awami Party (Wali Group), the APML chief said that the issue of the zonal federation was the “domestic affair” of the NAP.

[Meanwhile, as reported by an agency in Karachi,] The President, Gen A.M. Yahya Khan, announced yesterday [Feb 24] that schools throughout Karachi will remain closed today.

The President made the announcement as a gesture of appreciation of the impressive performance put up by the school children on the inauguration of the 12th National Games in the City yesterday.

The President’s announcement was received by the kids with applause who shouted three cheers for the President.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2020