‘No masters, no slaves’: Achakzai fires warning

Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Mahmood Khan Achakzai has said Pakistan belongs equally to Punjabis, Sindhis, Baloch, Saraikis and

Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Mahmood Khan Achakzai has said Pakistan belongs equally to Punjabis, Sindhis, Baloch, Saraikis and Pashtuns, stressing that there are no masters or slaves in the country.

He said all nationalities must be given equal rights and treated fairly under the Constitution and the law.

A three-day Grand Pashtun National Jirga, organised by the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), began on Sunday. Nawab Ayaz Khan Jogezai is presiding over the jirga.

Pashtun tribal elders from different areas and representatives from various walks of life are attending the gathering. PkMAP Chairman and opposition leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai is also participating in the jirga.

Addressing the gathering, Achakzai said the jirga was a continuation of the decisions taken at the Bannu National Jirga. He said it was not an event of a single political party but a gathering aimed at safeguarding the future and survival of the Pashtun nation.

He said the mountainous areas of the Pashtun region were rich in natural resources, including lithium, gold, silver, copper and other rare minerals.

Despite these resources, he said, many talented young people from the region were forced to travel abroad, including to Dubai, to work as labourers.

Achakzai rejected the perception that Pashtuns were a violent or terrorist people. He described them as a hospitable, peace-loving and humanitarian nation.

He called for an end to the violence and unrest affecting Pashtun areas. Referring to the Ziarat tragedy and other deadly incidents, he said the security situation had placed the lives, property and dignity of Pashtuns at serious risk.

The PkMAP chief said the use of force was not a solution to political problems. He maintained that political dialogue remained the only viable path for the Pashtun nation.

“We do not beg anyone,” Achakzai said, adding that Pashtuns were demanding their legitimate and constitutional rights over the resources of their own land.

He said decisions concerning the future of the Pashtun nation would now be discussed and determined through the Grand National Jirga.

According to the jirga administration, the three-day gathering will continue until September 1. Participants are expected to discuss political, economic, security and constitutional issues affecting Pashtun-majority areas.