QUETTA, Oct 24: Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai has said that political parties must realise the gravity of the situation and the main concern of the nation should be to save the country from disintegration.

Addressing a news conference here on Wednesday, he said there were two forces in the country, one dictatorial and the other democratic, and it was the responsibility of the latter to get rid of the former.

The PMAP leader said that Pakistan was a multi-nation state of Punjabis, Pakhtuns, Sindhis, Baloch and Seriakis and it was time to empower them and give them control of their resources.

He said the National Reconciliation Ordinance would benefit only the big fish.

Mr Achakzai called upon the military ruler to quit to pave way for transfer of power to the party commanding majority in the assembly.

He reiterated his demand for an interim set-up headed by a retired judge of the apex court who had not taken oath under the provisional constitutional order (PCO) to be formed in consultation with the leadership of political parties to hold transparent polls under an independent election commission.

He said Waziristan and Swat were burning because of interference by intelligence agencies in the affairs of Afghanistan and creation of Taliban by the Pakistan government.

Condemning the military operation in Balochistan and detention of BNP leader Sardar Akhtar Mengal, he said that political issues should be settled politically and the use of force would only create more complications. He opposed the planned restriction on rallies and processions.