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I was Afghan, I am Afghan and I will be Afghan, says Asfandyar Wali Khan
ANP President Asfandyar Wali Khan addressing his party members in Swabi
PESHAWAR: A prominent Pashtun leader and Pakistani politician Asfandyar Wali Khan has proudly declared he is an Afghan as he warned against the harassment of Afghan refugees in the country.
In his address during a rally in Swabi, Asfandyar Wali Khan criticized the Interior Ministry for ordering steps that led to harassment of the Afghan refugees.
He proudly declared that he was of Afghan origin and was still an Afghan as mentioned in the revenue record. He addressed, “I was Afghan, I am Afghan and I will be Afghan.”
In other parts of his speech, Asfandyar Wali Khan slammed the Pakistani authorities for their failure to act against the Afghan militants based in the country.
Noting the recent killing of a prominent Pakistani militant in Afghanistan who was involved in Peshawar’s Army Public School attack, Asfandyar Wali said the authorities in Pakistani have not even killed a single Taliban leader nor they have arrested any of them.
“But the Pakistani authorities have not killed or arrested a single leader of the Afghan Taliban on its soil or handed him over to the Afghan government,” he was quoted as saying in a report by The News International newspaper.
Asfandyar Khan further added “If there is disturbance in Afghanistan, Pakistan would also be in turmoil. Peace and progress in the two countries are linked. If anyone has any doubt, he should read history.”
He also warned that not only Pakistan, but also the entire region would witness trouble and instability if there was a war in Afghanistan.
Insisting on repatriation of Afghan refugees with dignity, Asfandyar Wali Khan said “It is surprising that yesterday they were called the mujahedeen, but today they are forced to go back to Afghanistan.”
THE PASHTUN TIMES
