KARACHI, May 20: Holding the Sindh and federal governments responsible for the May 12 killings in Karachi, Awami National Party chief Asfandyar Wali and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Aawmi Party chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai have asked the heads of the two governments to apology to the people and give them the assurance that the life and property of every citizen will be protected in the future.

The ANP and PMAP leaders were addressing a Pakhtun Jirga at the residence of ANP’s Sindh chief Shahi Syed on Sunday night after paying visits to the houses of those killed in the May 12 mayhem.

“If the government had allowed the people to give a warm welcome to Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and take him to the Sindh High Court to address the bar members, the heaven wouldn’t have fallen. The chief justice’s rallies had been held in Peshawar and Lahore peacefully. His procession started from Islamabad and reached Lahore after 26 hours without any untoward incident,” the ANP chief said.

He said when the government had declared an emergency in hospitals on May 12, it was clear that it was expecting trouble. “So, where had the law enforcement agencies gone on that day?” he said and added: “Was there no TV set in the Presidency or in the Prime Minister’s House? Was there no agency or official to inform the president and the prime minister about the situation in Karachi? If they had been informed about it, did they ask the governor or the Sindh inspector-general of police where the LEA personnel had gone? These are the questions every one wants to ask of them.”

Mr Wali further said why the LEA acted as silent spectators and allowed the blood of innocent people to spill. He asked if it was not the responsibility of the government to stand guarantee for the life of people. “Whatever happened on May 12, we had seen through the eyes of TV cameras.”

He said if the government was interested in running the affairs of the country smoothly, it must answer the people’s questions and extend an apology to them.

He asked what was the crime of the Pakhtuns who had given their sweat and blood to build this city and protect the life and honour of the rich here.

Mr Wali said that other might also claim to be the followers of the Bacha Khan philosophy but “we are his heirs and believe in political struggle”. However, if any one had it in his mind, he said, that he could force the Pakhtuns to bow before the oppressors, it was impossible. “The history of over three thousand years is witness to it. Even 40,000-strong British army in 1940 could not humble the Pakhtuns in Waziristan.

The ANP chief said the Pakhtuns wanted to live in Pakistan as brothers. He conceded that Punjab was the big brother provided it was prepared to give due respect and affection to its younger brothers. He said Pakistan could only survive if provincial autonomy was given where the people of the province should be the masters of their resources.

H said that their elders had suffered even after the creation of Pakistan for advising the rulers to hold talks with India for the settlement of disputes, but they were dubbed as agents of the Hindus and put behind bars. But today, after 60 years, there was no one in Pakistan who opposed holding of talks with India, he added.