Remembrance: In Bilour’s death, Pukhtuns lost a great leader, says Asfandyar

PESHAWAR:

“Bashir Bilour’s death was a great loss for Pukhtuns, creating a deep void in leadership,” said Asfandyar Wali Khan, Awami National Party’s (ANP) senior leader on Sunday. Asfandyar was addressing party workers and politicians in Nishtar Hall at an event commemorating Bashir’s first death anniversary.

Asfandyar asked Pukhtuns to come together to uphold the legacy and sacrifices made by Bacha Khan, Wali Khan and 700 Pukhtuns who died in the upheaval following America’s invasion of Afghanistan.

Senior provincial minister Bashir Ahmad Bilour and eight others died in a suicide blast in Qissa Khwani Bazaar on December 22, 2012. Bashir was the second senior politician who was assassinated following Benazir Bhutto’s death on December 27, 2007.



At the town-hall style gathering, Asfandyar’s announcement that December 22 will be commemorated every year as ‘the day of Shaheed Bashir’ was met with a resounding ‘long live Bashir Bilour.’

Ghulam Ahmad Bilour also paid homage to his younger brother. “My brother did not have any personal enmity with the Taliban; he was fighting a war for this nation and he fought with great bravery,” said Ghulam. “I ask the Taliban to not target Pukhtuns anymore as they cannot benefit from slaughtering innocent Pukhtuns.”

On NATO, drones and Hazara province

Asfandyar, who was also the former chief of the ANP, stressed the “nations of Pakistan and Afghanistan” need to devise a concrete policy to deal with the post-Nato withdrawal situation. “Everything in Afghanistan has already been destroyed – there is nothing left to destroy further.” He postulated it was now Pakistan, especially Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s, turn to face destruction, referring to escalating militancy in the region. The ANP will support dialogue with the Taliban, reiterated Asfandyar.

Facing the public after a brief hiatus, the senior ANP figure took the opportunity to discuss the party’s stance on both provincial and national issues. Publicly denouncing drone strikes, Asfandyar stated the ANP was the first party ever to hold demonstrations against the foreign strikes, in Bajaur Agency.

“The Uzbek, Tajik, Chechen, Arab and people from other parts of the world have come here, and are participating in the insurgency, killing our children – why is Imran Khan silent about it? Are they not killing innocent people?” questioned Asfandyar.

Discussing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Nato supply line blockade, he said, “The purpose of blocking Nato routes is to present Pukhtuns as extremists to the world,” alleged Asfandyar. “People come from Multan, Lahore, Mianwali to block routes in Peshawar; why can’t they stop Nato trucks in other parts of the country?”

According to Asfandyar, the notion of a “Hazara province” is a conspiracy against Pukhtuns, “We will never allow further division; we are in Batagram, Mansehra, Torghar, Shangla and even in Haripur. Pukhtuns live in all main areas of Hazara division.”

Both Kalabagh Dam and a separate Hazara province were termed as a conspiracy against the country and the unity of Pukhtuns. “We will never allow the construction of Kalabagh Dam – Pakistan and Kalabagh cannot coexist,” warned the senior leader. He was supported by Ghulam and other leaders present at the event.

Former Azad Kashmir prime minister Sardar Attique Ahmad Khan also addressed the party workers and lauded the services of late Bashir Bilour.

The central leadership of the party, including Afrasiab Khattak, Haji Adeel, Tajuddin, Mian Iftikhar Husain, party coordinator Bashir Matta, former chief minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti, and others were also present at the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2013.