Rulers’ Flawed Foreign and Security Policies Have Drenched Pashtunkhwa Homeland in Blood; Mines and Minerals Act Paved the Way for Seizure of Resources: Nasrullah Zere

Loralai (Daily Qudrat Quetta): Pashtunkhwa National Awami Party (PkNAP) Provincial President Nasrullah Khan Zere has said that the flawed foreign and security policies of the rulers have drenched the Pashtunkhwa homeland in blood, and that the Mines and Minerals Act has paved the way for the seizure of resources.

Addressing a public gathering at Pashtunistan Chowk, Loralai, held under the auspices of the Pashtunkhwa National Awami Party to mark the 43rd martyrdom anniversary of the martyrs of democracy of October 7, 1983 — Aslam Olasyar Shaheed, Kaka Mahmood Shaheed, Dawood Shaheed, and Ramzan Shaheed — and the 35th martyrdom anniversary of the martyrs of the homeland of October 11, 1991 — Abdul Rahim Kiliwal Shaheed, Sabir Shah Shaheed, Sahib Khan Shaheed, Baz Muhammad Baz Shaheed, and Habib-ur-Rahman Shaheed — the provincial president said that the so-called federal political parties made deals with the establishment for the sake of power, and that handing decisions to power centers instead of the people’s elected representatives is a negation of the federal system.

He said that under the conspiracy to make Afghanistan a fifth province, terrorism was nurtured, and that the incidents in Harnai, Ork, Ziarat, and Shahrag were aimed at looting minerals.

He said that in Loralai, prolonged load-shedding, commission-taking, and corruption are at their peak, the landlord system is ruined, and the people must organize resistance against an imposed government.

The gathering was presided over by Provincial President Nasrullah Khan Zere, and was addressed by Provincial Deputy Secretary Syed Akbar Khan, District Secretary Mustafa Kamal, PSO Provincial Secretary Waris Afghan, Wazir Khan Naseer, Maulvi Akhtar Muhammad, and other leaders. Stage secretary duties were performed by Naimat Chlazai, and the recitation of the Holy Quran was led by Haji Wahid Zakhpel.

Provincial President Nasrullah Zere said in his address that the martyrs of democracy and the martyrs of the homeland gave new strength and energy to the Pashtun national movement and democratic struggle by sacrificing their lives. These martyrs wrote a bright history of struggle with their blood for the protection of this homeland, the restoration of democracy, and the national, political, economic, and human rights of the nation. Their sacrifices are an unforgettable asset of our national political struggle.

He said that the Pashtunkhwa National Awami Party is the heir to the ideas and thoughts of its national political elders and martyrs, and walking on the path they defined, it continues its political and democratic struggle today for the supremacy of the Constitution, the autonomy of Parliament, true democracy, provincial autonomy, and the national rights of the Pashtunkhwa homeland.

Nasrullah Khan Zere said that the country’s history bears witness that whenever the people demanded their right to rule, democracy, and the supremacy of the Constitution, undemocratic forces ambushed the public mandate. Martial law was imposed repeatedly, the Constitution was suspended, and Parliament’s authority was weakened. The Pashtunkhwa National Awami Party has in every era carried out democratic resistance against dictatorship and unconstitutional measures and struggled for the people’s right to rule.

He said it must be said with regret that the country’s so-called federal political parties have also repeatedly made deals with the establishment for their temporary power and interests, as a result of which democratic institutions continued to weaken and undemocratic forces continued to grow stronger. Even today, giving decision-making authority to power centers instead of the people’s elected representatives and Parliament is a negation of democracy and the federal system.

He said the country is currently passing through a crisis in which the supremacy of the Constitution, the autonomy of Parliament, free elections, the rights of nations, and the people’s right to rule are being continuously restricted. In such circumstances, it is the responsibility of political parties and democratic forces to rise above personal and party interests and unite for the protection of the Constitution, democracy, and the fundamental rights of the people.

The speakers said that the right of the people of the Pashtunkhwa homeland over its resources should be recognized, national unity, national identity, and political authority should be recognized, and the Pashtunkhwa homeland should be given the status of an empowered federal unit on the basis of its historical, geographical, and national unity. They said that the looting of resources, coercive policies, political engineering, and robbery of the public mandate will not be accepted under any circumstances.

They said that the purpose for which the martyrs of democracy and the martyrs of the homeland sacrificed their lives was not merely the acquisition of power, but a democratic, constitutional, and federal Pakistan where all nations have equal rights, the people freely elect their representatives, and state institutions perform their duties within constitutional limits.

Earlier, a large procession was taken out from the party’s district secretariat, in which party workers and the public participated in large numbers. The participants of the procession, passing through various roads, reached Pashtunistan Chowk. The participants raised slogans of “Long live the national martyrs,” “Long live the martyrs of democracy,” “Long live the martyrs of the homeland,” “Long live the Pashtunkhwa National Awami Party,” and “Death to the imposed provincial and central government.”

Addressing the public gathering, the speakers said that due to the wrong foreign and internal policies of the country’s colonial rulers, the Pashtunkhwa homeland is currently in the grip of the worst terrorism. They said that the rulers nurtured terrorism for their specific political and strategic objectives, and under the policy of making Afghanistan their fifth province, such elements were brought into the Pashtunkhwa homeland, the consequences of which the Pashtun nation is suffering today.

The speakers said that artificially imposed terrorism has left the Pashtunkhwa homeland bleeding, and as a result, millions of people have become victims of death. Even today, the worst incidents of terrorism continue in various areas of the Pashtunkhwa homeland, especially in southern Pashtunkhwa, including Harnai, Ork, Ziarat, Shahrag, and Saranan. They said that one important objective of these conditions is to seize the precious resources, minerals, and natural reserves of the Pashtunkhwa homeland.

They said that by passing the so-called Mines and Minerals Act, the rulers paved the way for the seizure of the national resources of the Pashtunkhwa homeland, and through this step, the worst national injustice and national treason were committed. The people will certainly hold the rulers accountable for this and will not hesitate to make any sacrifice for the protection of their national resources.

The speakers said that the entire area, including Loralai city, is afflicted with serious problems. The severe shortage of electricity and prolonged load-shedding have made the lives of the people miserable, the law and order situation is extremely bad, corruption and commission-taking are at their peak, the landlord system has reached the brink of destruction, while the education system is also suffering from corruption and incompetence. They said that instead of providing basic facilities to the people, the ruling class is busy protecting its own interests.

Paying tribute to the martyrs of democracy and the martyrs of the homeland, the speakers said that especially National Martyr Usman Khan Kakar was a powerful voice for the subject nations, democracy, national rights, and the oppressed people. By silencing his voice, his ideas and national struggle could not be ended. The sacrifices of the martyrs are a beacon for the national political struggle.

They said that in the present circumstances, the Pashtun nation must unite and organize to struggle. All political forces must form a national democratic alliance and move forward for the protection of their national and democratic interests, so that an effective struggle can be waged for the resources, rights, peace, democracy, and national authority of the Pashtunkhwa homeland.

The speakers expressed the resolve that the sacrifices of the martyrs of democracy and the martyrs of the homeland will not be forgotten, and that carrying forward their national, democratic, and political ideas, the struggle will continue until the achievement of the rights of the people of the Pashtunkhwa homeland, true democracy, the supremacy of the Constitution, and the establishment of a federal system based on the equality of nations.

At the conclusion of the public gathering, dozens of people announced their joining of the Pashtunkhwa National Awami Party. Party leaders congratulated the newly joined colleagues and said that their joining will further strengthen the national democratic struggle.