File photo of Mehmood Khan Achakzai. PHOTO: NNI/ FILE
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has withdrawn Mehmood Khan Achakzai from its list of possible caretaker prime minister candidates after Baloch nationalists and parties objected to his political leanings.
Sources told The Express Tribune that the PML-N leadership held a meeting a few days ago in which they finalised Justice (retd) Nasir Aslam Zahid’s name as caretaker prime minister and dropped Achakzai, the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief, from the list after reservations were lodged by the Balochistan National Party, Jamhoori Watan Party and Baloch leaders within the PML-N.
They felt uncomfortable with Achakzai’s ideology of wanting a separate province for Pakhtun strongholds in Balochistan.
Balochistan National Party’s acting president, Dr Jahanzeb Jamaldini, confirmed his party’s position, asking how it was possible that Baloch-dominated areas like Chaghi, Sibbi, Bolan, Mastang and even Quetta could be handed over to the Pakhtun community.
He added that he conveyed his party’s reservations to the PML-N leadership. Jamaldini said his party and most Baloch political leaders supported the circulation of Zahid’s name as caretaker prime minister.
A senior PML-N official said his party will seek one more name from opposition parties in the coming days and will publicly announce two names.
The PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal confirmed Zahid’s name, adding that his party was still in consultations and would soon finalise the process.
Balochistan caretaker
chief minister
The PML-N has also floated two names for caretaker chief minister of Balochistan for consultation with stakeholders both within and outside the province.
Although the main opposition party has not started discussing the possible candidates for caretaker chief minister of all four provinces, it has so far forwarded two names to other opposition parties for Balochistan.
The two names are former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Ali Ahmad Kurd, and Justice (retd) Mir Hazar Khan Khosa.
The PML-N has urged all its members who are part of the Balochistan Assembly and its allies in the province for the forthcoming elections to resist the PPP-led government’s move to appoint its own caretaker chief minister, if it decides to do so.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 20th, 2013.
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Achakzai in one of the most respectable and courageous leader of Pakistan. We salute him for his vision and courage.
@Saeed:
If you try to understand with a less biased, less prejudiced mindset, the viewpoint of Mehmood Khan Achakzai's about the cultural, linguistic and religious diversity of Pakistan, you might find solutions to the present mess our dear country is experiencing. As for the objection of Baloch nationalists on his name, their narrow-minded policies explain why nobody sympathizes with their political struggle. They should pray for Nawaz Sharif and his party, otherwise their racist attitude and extreme arrogance have isolated them nationally. Becoming a care-taker prime minister was never Mr Achakzai's desire but by objecting on his name, they have yet again exposed their discriminatory and biased attitude towards the Pashtuns.
Pashtuns in present Balochistan province are son of soil, not migrated people or settlers.British Balochistan was a Pashtun province sliced from Afghanistan under treaty and it existed till formation of one unite and when one unite was dismental in 70 and provinces were re-installed our Pashtun province was merged with Kalat and Kharan state to form new province Balochistan against will of Pashtuns.Quetta was declare capital of newly formed province and Baloch was ruler, here demographic changes occured as thousands Baloch moved in to Quetta following jobs and opportunities. Quetta valley is property of three Pashtun tribes; Kasi, Yaseen zai (kakar, and Bazai (kakar).Only Barohi(not Baloch) Shahwani tribe can claim to be son of soil of Quetta as on request of Ahmad Shah baba,Kasi tribe gave them karez and land for respectable life in reward the way Shahwani fought along Ahmad Shah baba.Rest of Baloch are illegal immigrants now claiming Pashtun land.
Balochistan belong to baloch only and totally agree with @ Saeed 'If that is the criteria of rights then start carving out every city that has multiple ethnic population. Start with Peshawar where people from all ethnic background reside. Now that Uzbeks and Arabs are also resident of parts of KP let’s start carving those areas as well. Be careful what you wish for it might just come back to bite you.
The Pashtun areas of current Balochistan were cut-off from Afghanistan after the second Anglo-Afghan war in 1878.Bugti,Marri areas were then incorporated with these pashtun areas and the province of 'British Balochistan' came into being which was a misnomer because 90 % of British Balochistan's population was Pashtun. This overwhelmingly Pashtun province remained a seperate political and administrative entity till 1956.After the abolition of one-unit scheme in 1970,both the Kalat state union(Baloch areas) and British Balochistan(Pashtun areas) were merged to form a Balochistan province. Massive protests were held by pashtuns against the abolition of their seperate province.The National Awami party was also broken over this issue.Pashtuns of british balochistan wanted to join their areas to the NWFP province but the leadership of NAP (Wali khan etc.) yielded to Baloch sardars and British Balochistan was included in Balochistan province. As a result,NAP was split and PMAP was founded by Abdul samad khan Achakai (father of Mahmood khan).
All along we have been told that the judiciary in the past was hand in glove with the military establishment. And it is only the current bunch of pious judges who have broken the shackles. It is surprising that now the same old guard is considered clean by PML-N. After doing politics with the help of generals, the next low for PML-N is to do the politics with the judges.
If Achakzai is not accepted then they must know angels wouldn't descend.
Its not the baloch who feel uneasy with Achakzai rather then its the mind set of PML N who will never give a chance to such a person like Achakzai who is a strong cretic of establishment.
Sibi and Bolan are overwhelmingly Pashtun, with Mastung being full of Raisani being a sub tribe of Pashtun. if anybody is even having tiny knowledge and understanding of history and geography Quetta is and was always Pashtun so lets not make this ethnic politics a dirty game. Pashtuns of Balochsitan are 55% of the province population and they are very much ok with living there as a part of Balochistan
@Khan: If that is the criteria of rights then start carving out every city that has multiple ethnic population. Start with Peshawar where people from all ethnic background reside. Now that Uzbeks and Arabs are also resident of parts of KP let's start carving those areas as well. Be careful what you wish for it might just come back to bite you.