pakdefender
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LAHORE: Railways Minister and a central leader of the Awami National Party, Ghulam Ahmed Bilour has said Bengalis chose to end their allegiance to Pakistan to get recognition and ìnow it is up to the politicians of the country whether they recognise the Pakhtuns by naming their province after them or go for the Bengali Model.î
Talking to media men at the Railway Headquarters on Monday, he said it was not only disturbing but disappointing to see such a hue and cry over a legitimate and reasonable demand. Bilour regretted the reservations expressed by Mian Nawaz Sharif over the issue, saying if he had any problem with the issue why he did not bring it up for discussion during at least 75 parliamentary committee meetings.
He said Nawaz Sharif had agreed to everything, but all of a sudden he was blessed by an
unexplainable revelation dawning upon him that he had serious reservations over renaming of the NWFP. The minister said although negotiations and meetings with the PML-N were still going on, in which they have been assured of cooperation, but the backtracking of the PML-N had created a trust deficit.
He said the Pakhtuns have never objected to the province of Punjabis being named the Punjab or the province of Sindhis being named as Sindh. ìThen why would any other province have any issues over renaming the province of the Pakhtuns after them?î
Bilour said Pakhtuns have been part of this region for centuries and have ruled the subcontinent for over a hundred years; so they have every right to be recognised. The ANP leader said it was the agenda of the Western powers to eliminate the existence and identity of the Pakhtun race, because they suffered heavy resistance and losses at their hands. Therefore, anyone trying to deny the Pakhtuns their identity was toeing the agenda of the Western world and playing as an aide to their revenge, he added.
When asked if a name suggested by the other provinces would be acceptable to the Pakhtuns and the ANP, he said it is a simple matter like naming of your child, and no one wants the prerogative of naming their own child being taken away from them as itís a God-given right.
Bilour, however, did not express complete hopelessness on the issue and said he still believes that Nawaz Sharif would rethink his stance and not stand in the way of the people of the NWFP and their longstanding reasonable demand for an identity.
Talking to media men at the Railway Headquarters on Monday, he said it was not only disturbing but disappointing to see such a hue and cry over a legitimate and reasonable demand. Bilour regretted the reservations expressed by Mian Nawaz Sharif over the issue, saying if he had any problem with the issue why he did not bring it up for discussion during at least 75 parliamentary committee meetings.
He said Nawaz Sharif had agreed to everything, but all of a sudden he was blessed by an
unexplainable revelation dawning upon him that he had serious reservations over renaming of the NWFP. The minister said although negotiations and meetings with the PML-N were still going on, in which they have been assured of cooperation, but the backtracking of the PML-N had created a trust deficit.
He said the Pakhtuns have never objected to the province of Punjabis being named the Punjab or the province of Sindhis being named as Sindh. ìThen why would any other province have any issues over renaming the province of the Pakhtuns after them?î
Bilour said Pakhtuns have been part of this region for centuries and have ruled the subcontinent for over a hundred years; so they have every right to be recognised. The ANP leader said it was the agenda of the Western powers to eliminate the existence and identity of the Pakhtun race, because they suffered heavy resistance and losses at their hands. Therefore, anyone trying to deny the Pakhtuns their identity was toeing the agenda of the Western world and playing as an aide to their revenge, he added.
When asked if a name suggested by the other provinces would be acceptable to the Pakhtuns and the ANP, he said it is a simple matter like naming of your child, and no one wants the prerogative of naming their own child being taken away from them as itís a God-given right.
Bilour, however, did not express complete hopelessness on the issue and said he still believes that Nawaz Sharif would rethink his stance and not stand in the way of the people of the NWFP and their longstanding reasonable demand for an identity.
