QUETTA, June 4: Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali Khan have agreed to work jointly against terrorism and extremism which, according to them, had badly affected the people of Balochistan and the NWFP.

Addressing a public meeting at the end of a two-day national congress organised by the PMAP here on Monday night, the nationalist leaders held Al Qaeda and the Taliban, backed by the rulers in Islamabad, responsible for the bloodshed in Afghanistan.

Mr Achakzai said that his party wanted to work with the ANP and suggested that both the parties should get united against enemies of the Pakhtuns.

He said the Pakhtun land despite being rich in resources had been facing economic and social problems because of the usurpation of resources by outsiders.

He warned that if the government did not realise the gravity of the situation in the country, extremist forces would capture the GHQ and cantonments. The PMAP chairman said: “We are not against Pakistan. We want that the state should remain intact, but true democracy is a prerequisite for the continuation of nation-building. Dictatorship puts country’s sovereignty at risk.”

Mr Achakzai warned that the PMAP and the ANP would not remain silent on the killing of the Pakhtuns in Waziristan, Bannu, Peshawar, Kabul, Kandahar, Khost and Karachi and said that denial of political, constitutional and economic rights was the root cause of suffering of the Pakhtun people.

He said that the PMAP and the ANP were ready to cooperate with the ARD and the MMA if they accepted four points -- no political role for army and intelligence agencies; an interim government to hold elections; an independent election commission to supervise elections and the handing over of powers to the majority in the assembly.

ANP chief Asfandyar Wali accused President Pervez Musharraf of defaming the Pakhtuns at international forums and dubbing them terrorists and extremists, but the fact was that Islamabad was behind the Taliban movement and supported the group to destabilise Afghanistan.

Mr Khan said that the survival of Pakhtuns was at risk, adding that in this critical situation the ANP was with Mr Achakzai and extended a hand of friendship to the PMAP.

ANP leader said: “We want powers over our own land. There will be no political stability if the Pakhtuns are deprived of rights to control their resources for the betterment of the people.

The meeting demanded an end to interference in Afghanistan and military operation in Balochistan. The meeting condemned the demolition of Pakhtun houses in Karachi. Other demands include the unification of all divided Pakhtun areas into one united Pakhtunkhwa province and action against extremist forces demolishing schools in Pakhtun areas.