ANP meeting pays glowing tributes to President Zardari

 

London: Pakistan’s High Commissioner to UK Mr.  Wajid Shamsul Hasan has said that the fruitful outcome of the efforts of democratic  rule in Pakistan have become  obvious in a very short  span of time and the challenges being faced by the country  would  soon be overcome through the  continuity of  democratic process .  Mr. Hasan expressed these views as the chief guest of “Pakhtoon Khawa Celebrations” arranged by the   ANP London at the Ilford Community Centre, here, yesterday. Member Khyber Pakhtoon Khawa Provincial Assembly Dr. Haider Ali presided over the event hosted by President ANP UK Mr. Mehfooz Jan and other office bearers of ANP UK.

 

Recalling the continuous conflict between the democratic and dictatorial forces throughout the history of Pakistan, the High Commissioner said that   Pakistan has seen this struggle right from its inception.  Democratic forces including ANP under the leadership of late Khan Wali Khan and Asfandyar Wali and great leaders like Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto sacrificed their lives to uproot dictatorial forces. The cost of   restoring democratic rule in Pakistan has been huge. He warned that anti democratic forces were continuing to hatch conspiracies against the democratic rule in Pakistan. 

 

Mr. Hasan said that the triumph of democracy by ousting the dictatorial and oppressive regimes became   possible when all the democratic forces joined hands. A democratic order, in a short span of time, has succeeded in putting the country on sound democratic footing. These include: passage of the 18th   Constitutional Amendment, Balochistan Package; culmination of fair deal in NFC Award and renaming the Khyber Pakhtoon Khawa province, which was a long standing demand of the people of that province.

 

Speaking on the occasion Dr. Haider Ali MPA said that after two World Wars and a Cold War, the fourth Great War is being fought on the soil of the Pakhtoons against terrorism. He said it was  binding on us to  change  the  misperceptions associated  with the  Pakhtoons and  terrorism as  Pakhtoons were   not terrorists,  but the biggest  victims of this war.

 

Dr Haider Ali paid a befitting tribute to President Asif Ali Zardari for the renaming of NWFP as Khyber Pakhtoon Khawa province—a long standing demand of the Pakhtoon. He also praised the coalition government for having resolved the main political constitutional issues that have been causing friction.

 

President ANP UK Mr. Mehfooz Khan also praised the democratic government and particularly President Asif Ali Zardari, whose sagacity made it possible to change the name of NWFP to Khyber Pakhtoon Khawa. He said that such a feat was possible only under a democratic set up and with a democratic mindset.  

 

Both the ANP leaders and other speakers said that the nefarious designs of those elements trying to undo the renaming of the province would not be allowed to succeed. They also expressed their determination to fight to the end to eliminate terrorism from Pakistani soil especially their province which has been suffering untold miseries since last 30 years due to conflict in the region. They lauded the passage of 18th Amendment as a landmark achievement of the democratic government.

 

Pakistan High Commissioner also lauded the setting up of the Badshah Khan Educational Foundation Trust and setting of modern schools to provide liberal and progressive education to the youth in the province.

 

May 17, 2010

 

 

Last updated: 18 May 2010