Chairman of the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, has said that Pakistan is a shared country of Punjabis, Sindhis, Baloch, Saraikis and Pashtuns, stressing that no community should be treated as a master or slave.
Speaking at a three-day Grand Pashtun National Jirga, Achakzai said that all nationalities must receive equal rights and treatment under the Constitution and the law.
The jirga, organised by the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, has brought together Pashtun tribal elders and people from different walks of life. Nawab Ayaz Khan Jogezai is presiding over the gathering.
Addressing the participants, Achakzai said the jirga was not the gathering of a single political party but an important forum concerning the survival and future of the Pashtun people. He described it as a continuation of the decisions taken at the Bannu National Jirga.
Achakzai also highlighted the natural resources found in Pashtun-majority areas, including lithium, gold, silver, copper and other valuable minerals. He questioned why talented young people from resource-rich areas are still forced to travel abroad in search of work.
He rejected the portrayal of Pashtuns as terrorists, describing them instead as a peaceful, hospitable and humane people. He called for an end to violence and instability in Pashtun areas, saying that the lives, property and dignity of the people are facing serious threats.
The PkMAP chairman maintained that guns cannot solve political problems, arguing that dialogue and negotiations remain the way forward. He said Pashtuns were not asking for charity but demanding their constitutional and legitimate share in the resources of their own land.
According to the jirga administration, the three-day Grand Pashtun National Jirga will continue until September 1, with discussions expected to focus on the future of the Pashtun people, natural resources, security and political issues.
