Bad blood between US, Pakistan to harm Pakhtuns

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Information & Public Relations, Mian Iftikhar Hussain has said that Pakistan was not a slave but a sovereign state and wants good relations with the whole world including America on the basis of equality. Provocative statements of the USA were intolerable as it instead of bringing improvement, could lead the situation towards confrontation, he added.This, he said, while talking to a delegation of Shangla Press Club led by its President Nasir Mehmood Nasir at Peshawar on Wednesday. General Secretary of the Press Club Mian Raza Shah while highlighting the problems and demands of the local journalists’ community demanded special grant for press club, establishment of media colony and financial aid of the IDPs journalists.The Information Minister, while referring to the rapidly emerging critical situation, said that the government policy regarding terrorism was crystal clear as being a frontline state; Pakistan had given more sacrifices than any other countries in the war against terror. He added that we love peace, hate war and condemn terrorism exists in any shape and in any part of the world including Pakistan.Mian Iftikhar on this occasion expressed the fear; if the present situation leads towards confrontation, it would have unbelievable devastation and would badly affect the Pakhtun Belt as it was situated in a very sensitive area. He furthered, the today’s Pakhtun nation was the product of history. Unfortunately, through a pre-planned international conspiracy, it was once again pushing towards the stone-era but the Pakhtun nation was well aware of the conspiracy and would face it generously, he continued.The minister while referring to the demands, presented in the welcome address, said that the provincial government had a standard policy in this regard and all the districts would be given its due share in line with the policy. He added that the provincial government has, in the first phase, already constructed building for the Shangla Press Club at a cost of Rs.7.3 million while formal announcement for the fulfillment of their remaining demands would be made in his upcoming visit to Shangla Press Club.