CHARSADDA, Feb 14: Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao has said that his faction of the Pakistan People’s Party was among the first to welcome the takeover by President Pervez Musharraf because of his progressive policies.

Speaking at a public meeting organised on the 31st death anniversary of Hayat Mohammad Khan Sherpao, the minister supported the economic, political and industrial policies of Gen Musharraf, which, according to him, had strengthened the economy of the country and boosted its image abroad.

Defence Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal, Minister for Labour and Manpower Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Minister of State for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Raza Hayat Khan Hiraj, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Aneesa Zeb Tahirkheli, Pakistan Muslim League senior vice-president Kabir Ali Wasti, Mutahidda Qaumi Movement MNA Iqbal Mohammad Khan and NWFP PPP chief Pervez Khattak spoke on the political struggle of Hayat Sherpao and his comrades against the dictatorships of Gen Ayub Khan and Gen Yahya Khan.

Leaders of the Mazdoor Kisan Party and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal MNAs Maulana Ghulam Mohammad Sadiq and Maulana Gohar Ali Shah were also present.

Mr Sherpao said: “President Musharraf is a progressive man and likes people who believe in the uplift of the masses and development of the country. Hayat Khan Sherpao and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto both were from that class of politicians, who promoted progressive politics in Pakistan.”

He said he and his colleagues had extended support to Gen Musharraf in October 1999, when most of the political parties were caught in a quandary, for his just and visionary approach about the financial demands of provinces and a politically strong federation.

He said: “My party supports President Musharraf because he is fighting a war against terrorism. We oppose all forms of terrorism, because Hayat Khan too fell prey to terrorism.”

He said President Musharraf, through a presidential order, had resolved the issue of National Finance Commission award and provided an additional Rs11.5 billion to the NWFP.

He criticized both, what he dubbed, the so-called champions of the religion and nationalism, saying that his party had done a lot for the benefit of the poor people of the province.

He said the PPP would work for unity of Pukhtuns, including those in Karachi, Balochistan and Afghanistan.

The minister said he had work hard to convince the decision makers in Islamabad to first construct Munda and Bhasha dams and evolve a consensus for other dams.

Mr Sherpao lashed out at European countries for allowing their press to publish sacrilegious material in the name of freedom of expression. He said his party would continue protest against the countries until they tendered an apology.

He thanked the MQM for extending support to the survivors of the October 8 earthquake in the upper districts of Hazara region and said it would strengthen the federation.

Rao Sikandar said Hayat Sherpao was a hero of his party, which had been struggling for strengthening democracy under the leadership of President Musharraf.