PA decries British PM’s remarks against Pakhtuns

PESHAWAR: The treasury and opposition lawmakers in the NWFP Assembly Wednesday condemned the statement of the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown terming Pakhtuns as terrorists and extremists.The legislators submitted a resolution in the assembly secretariat for House debate on Friday to unanimously condemn the “insulting” remarks by Gordon Brown against Pakhtun nation.Carrying signatures of the leader of the opposition Akram Durrani, Sikandar Sherpao (PPP-S), Nighat Orakzai (PML-Q), Munawar Khan, Javed Abbasi (PML-N) and senior ministers Bashir Bilour and Rahimdad Khan expressed shock and anger over the remarks of the British premier.Terming Pakhtuns as brave, Islam-loving and patriotic, they asked the federal government to lodge official protest with the UK government over its Prime Minister’s remarks against Pakhtuns.On a point of order, Munawar Khan raised the issue by posing a question as to how Gordon Brown had said that 90 per cent of Pakhtuns were terrorists.Akram Khan Durrani said the statement terming Pakhtuns as terrorists and extremists was the unfortunate and insulting. “This is an insult to the entire Pakhtun nation and we represent them,” he said, adding that protecting rights and honour of Pakhtuns was their topmost priority.Referring to the reported sale of the PC Peshawar after the blast, he said allowing a foreign country to purchase the lone five-star hotel in the city would create problems for the people. He requested the chair to relax rules and allow them to move the condemnation resolution.Bashir Ahmed Bilour said Pakhtuns are peace-loving nation. They hate war and love peace. “We are the proponents of non-violence as the use of force breeds hatred, while non-violence begets love.”He said these were Pakhtuns who fought against the terrorists and five per cent of them may be involved in terrorism, which negates Brown’s claim of their 90 per cent involvement.Meanwhile, the NWFP Assembly will also hold debate on the Kerry-Lugar Bill in the coming session and the speaker proposed to the opposition to prepare a joint resolution for debate on the bill.Javed Abbasi of the PML-N said the entire country was opposing aid at the expense of national sovereignty. Since the legislators from other parties wanted to speak on the issue, the speaker suggested a joint resolution for debate on it.Zahir Shah of the PML-Q withdrew his privilege motion against the education minister, Sardar Hussain Babak, when he sought forgiveness for his reported utterance against the members. The minister, who remained under fire on Wednesday, said he withdraw his words, if they had hurt sentiments of the members.The opposition and ruling alliance’s members were critical of the education minister for making transfers and postings of teachers in their respective constituencies.Provincial labour minister Sher Azam Khan also came down hard on his cabinet colleague, saying Babak had appointed a corrupt EDO in his district who is not acceptable to all the four elected members. He pointed out gross irregularities in the appointment of the PTC teachers and said they (MP) would only be satisfied with the transfer of the EDO from Bannu. Javed Tarakai said that 186 teachers have been appointed in his constituency and said that his runner-up in the last elections is now acting like an MPA.Akram Durrani in his adjournment motion said the undeserving people had been appointed in the education department. However, he did not press his resolution after the assurance by the minister who said the practices would not be repeated.Minister for Higher Education Qazi Muhammad Asad presented the Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan Bill, 2009. Saqibullah Khan Chamkani of the ANP and Abdul Akbar Khan’s amendments were discussed which would be taken up again in the coming session.