Nasim opposes referendum on Pakhtunkhwa
F.P. Report
PESHAWAR Ñ The provincial president and parliamentary leader of the ANP in NWFP Assembly, Begum Nasim Wali Khan, has declared that her party would support Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif whether he is prime minister or not.
Addressing a function organised by Pakhtun Students Federation, to celebrate the passage of Pakhtunkhwa resolution in the Frontier Assembly, at Nishtar Hall Peshawar on Monday, she said her party would maintain supporting Nawaz Sharif at every difficult time.
Appreciating the role of her party, Begum Nasim said it had never resorted to politics of blackmailing and compromise. She said her party would never break its agreement with PML.
Commenting over the apprehensions of some people about the passage of Pakhtunkhwa resolution in the Frontier Assembly, Begum Nasim said that the people residing in this province were Pakhtun whether they speak Pashto or any other language.
All nationalities in this province, she said would have equal rights. She said Pakhtunkhwa was the historical name of this province and there was no harm if it was called Pakhtunkhwa. We have not introduced a new name but chosen its centuries old name. She said those who were making hue and cry over the passage of Pakhtunkhwa resolution would find no justification in this connection.
The ANP provincial chief criticised the Saifullah brothers for opposing the Pakhtunkhwa resolution in the Frontier Assembly and said that they did not deserve to be known as Pakhtun.
Referring towards the present political situation in the country, Begum Nasim said that the country was facing acute problems which could not be resolved overnight. She alleged that the PPP rulers had looted the national exchequer and multiplied problems of the people. Those who had not even a donkey, she said, are billionaires now.
She said her party had fulfilled its responsibility by adopting Pakhtunkhwa resolution in the assembly and now it was the duty of Pakhtun Students Federation to continue its struggle till renaming the province as Pakhtunkhwa. She asked the party workers and PkSF to celebrate the Pakhtunkhwa resolution throughout the province at tehsil and district level.
NNI Adds: Awami National Party will continue support to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the present critical juncture and will fully back him in his struggle for strengthening democracy, said ANP leader Begum Nasim Wali Khan on Monday.
We will not leave Nawaz Sharif in lurch but will extend him full support at any hour of trial,Ó Nasim told convention of the Pakhtun Students Federation.
The nation, she said, had given heavy mandate to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif but Justice Sajjad Ali Shah made the mandate as a burden for the governmentÓ, Nasim Wali regretted. She said Òit is a matter of shame for the nation to see two parallel benches simultaneouslyÓ.
We will not exploit the situation to blackmail Nawaz Sharif in this difficult time. We are Pakhtuns and committed to continue support to the Prime MinisterÓ, she declared.
The ANP leader said that her party has only 32 votes in the NWFP assembly but it succeeded in adopting the majority resolution for changing the province name. The resolution will also be passed in the National Assembly through the same policy, she predicted.
Criticising opponents of Pakhtunkhwa, she said that her party will not compromise on the issue. She said, she asked the PkSF workers to celebrate the approval of Pakhtunkhwa resolution.
APP Adds: Extending all out support and cooperation to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, provincial chief of ANP Begum Nasim Wali Khan said, her party would not leave him alone in his struggle for the supremacy of the parliament.
She was addressing to the oath-taking ceremony of the Pakhtun Students Federation (PkSF) University Campus here at Nishtar Hall Monday.
She reiterated that Pakhtuns never left their friends in lurch during odd hours and added that ANP would not take benefit out of the existing difficulties faced by the prime minister and would neither black mail him.
She told the PkSF workers that identity and security of the Pakhtunkhwa is now their responsibility. ÒThe ANP with 32 members in the provincial assembly and effective strategy, succeeded in getting through the Pakhtunkhwa resolutionÓ. She said, similar policy would be adopted to get it through the National Assembly.
Begum Nasim underscored the need for launching a comprehensive programme to help remove backwardness, poverty and unemployment from the province. ANP would not rest till the time, it achieved due rights for the Pakhtuns, she added.
Opposing holding of referendum for renaming of NWFP, she said, there is no need to hold referendum for renaming as according to her, no such example existed in the country in this regard.
Addressing the oath-taking ceremony, provincial ministers Bashir Ahmed Bilour and Farid Khan Toofan said, people of Hazara are not against Pakhtunkhwa, but they are against their members of the assembly. They said, ANP would foil all such conspiracies, aimed at weakening the cause of Pakhtunkhwa.
They hoped that the Pakhtunkhwa resolution would also be adopted with big majority by the Parliament.
Nasim Wali administered oath to the newly elected office-bearers of PkSF University Campus.
Earlier, students of different colleges belonging to PkSF took out a procession from Green Hotel and culminated at Nishtar Hall. The procession was led by provincial minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour and provincial president of PkSF.
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