SHERGARH, April 16: The Pukhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party favours a strong federation but it will not tolerate any discrimination against any federating unit, the party’s chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai said here.

Mr Achakzai told a gathering in Shergarh that Pakistan had come into being because of the selfless and unforgettable sacrifices rendered by the Pukhtuns. “That is why Pukhtuns will never compromise on their national identity,” he said.

The Pukhtun leader accused Punjab of “illegal occupation of Pukhtun resources” and said while “our sons slave it out” and live in extreme poverty “our resources are utilised by outsiders”.

He said that “leaders of Pukhtuns” were ready to lay down their lives and surrender all they had for the sake of their Pukhtun brethren. He called upon the leadership of Pukhtuns to launch a campaign for emancipation. “We are ready to join such a struggle, which will continue till the Pukhtuns achieve total independence for the Pukhtunkhwa nation,” he added. —Online