HYDERABAD, March 24: Awami National Party president Senator Asfandyar Wali Khan has condemned what he calls the massacre of innocent people in the Wana operation.
He was speaking at a public meeting organized by the local chapter of the party to commemorate the 16th death anniversary of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (Bacha Khan) on Tuesday night.
He alleged that the establishment was aware of the presence of terrorists in Wana and let them escape in the middle of the night. He said Taliban and Al Qaeda were not the product of Pakhtun culture but they had been created by the establishment to destroy Afghanistan.
He said 17th constitutional amendment was a conspiracy and added that excesses and injustices against the smaller provinces were increasing with the passage of each day.
Mr Khan said it appeared as if Punjab alone was Pakistan. He said Gen Pervez Musharraf had become the ruler because of the Punjab support. He said the resources of Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan were looted although the provinces had the exclusive rights over their own resources.
Referring to the non-violent politics of Bacha Khan the ANP president said that the smaller provinces would have to launch a joint struggle for their rights.
Jeay Sindh Mahaz (Z) leader Syed Zain Shah said the rulers looted the resources of Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan and spending the same for the development of Punjab.
He said Pakistan could not function by committing excesses and injustices against the smaller provinces. He said the oppressed nations were not asking for charity but demanding their just rights. He warned that if they were denied their legal and just rights the consequences would be disastrous.
Amin Khattak, Shahid Khan, Sultan Mandokhel, Farooque Bangash and others also spoke on the occasion.
RESOLUTIONS: The meeting adopted several resolutions rejecting the construction of the Kalabagh dam and greater Thal canal and declaring that it was a conspiracy against the people of Sindh, "Pakhtunkha" and Balochistan.
The meeting condemned the Wana operation and demanded that the government should punish the functionaries involved in the massacre of innocent Pakhtuns specially women and children and payment of adequate compensation to the bereaved families.
Rejecting the 17th constitutional amendment, the gathering considered it more dangerous than one unit and said that it was aimed at eliminating the historic identity of the nations.
It demanded the 17th amendment should be repealed and the provinces should be given full autonomy. It called upon the prime minister to release Hyderabad Development Package without any delay and urged the district and taluka Nazims to carry out development works in the katchi abadis of Hyderabad specially UC 13, 14, 15, 16 and Pathan goth.
Expressing solidarity with the workers of Zealpak cement factory, the meeting demanded of the government to initiate development work in the colony, which was the property of the workers.
It condemned the alleged threats to and registration of false cases against central committee member Aurangzeb Khan and demanded action against culprits who were involved in the murderous attack on the Taluka Nazim.
LUMHS: The additional controller of examinations, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences has announced that the last date for submission of examination forms of postgraduate April examination 2004 at the LUMHS Jamshoro has been fixed as March 27 without late fee and with late fee of Rs300 as April 3, 2004.
DATE EXTENDED: Sindh University registerer on Wednesday extended the last date up to April 10 for the provisional admissions to B.A, B.Sc, B.Com, B.S.W, B.Sc (home economics (Pass) Part-I and Part-II classes for the session of 2003-04 at the all degree colleges of the university of Sindh.
Dear visitor, the comments section is undergoing an overhaul and will return soon.