PTI asks MNA to apologize for threatening Kalash community
CHITRAL: PTI Chitral president Abdul Latif on Wednesday said he was consulting party’s lawyers to file a case against MNA Abdul Akbar and MPA Hidayatur Rehman for hurling threats on the Kalash community.
Speaking at a press conference, Latif said the party had earlier ignored when the MNA phoned Wazirzada, the minority MPA of the PTI from Kalash community, and threatened him for not consulting the elected members from Chitral in any decisions related development and other affairs.
Now when the MNA has targeted the whole Kalash community it cannot be ignored. He asked the MMA members to apologize for their threatening remarks within 24 hours otherwise he would approach the police to register a case against them under the National Action Plan (NAP).
He is the only one who is putting the peace of chitral on stake. What a shame, we have elected him and he is representing entire Chitral with these thoughts? He is propagating violence and inflicting hate in the minds of people delibratley. #MNAChitral threatens Kalsha Tribe pic.twitter.com/atwnNSY3jX
— Anica Hasanat (@AnicaHasanat) April 10, 2019
Latif said the PTI had a plan to promote tourism in the country in general and in Chitral in particular. So the MMA members of assemblies fear that if tourism is promoted Chitral will see development and this will put an end to their politics.
About the accusation of the MMA lawmakers that Class-IV jobs in schools were given on political basis by the PTI and its minority MPA, Latif said there was three percent quota in the jobs for children of those employees who died during service and 25 per cent for children of retired employees. Then the owners of land on which schools are built are given jobs against their land.
So after filling the quota and land owners’ posts, there were only 18 posts of Class IV left in Chitral out of which 13 were given to those recommended by MPA Hidayatur Rehman and five recommended by Wazirzada, he dded.
The PTI leader said the religious parties had always cashed in on the lack of awareness and poverty of the people to get votes and now when the government was trying to put the area on track of development they were coming up with irresponsible attitude and statements.
He said the MNA had done a very disservice by targeting the tiny but peaceful community of Chitral who had lived in the valley for centuries. He said Wazirzada was not only a member of the assembly from the Kalash valley but also a representative of the PTI Chitral and the party was fully backing him.
He said the MNA had no mandate to try to influence the provincial government in running the provincial affairs. When PTI MNAs cannot interfere in the affairs of the province how a member of the religious party that is neither in the government nor in the opposition can try to dictate it, he said.
Reporter: Muhkam Uddin Ayuni (Photo: Bashir Hussain Azad).
Posting of government employees aside, the parliamentarian has no right to hurl threat at a community which is older inhabitant of Chitral than his. The Kalash are the wealth of Chitral. If there were no Kalash, 90 percent tourists who visit Chitral would go elsewhere. We must treasure and protect the Kalash.
As far as religion is concerned,our Holy Quran says “There is no compulsion in religion”. It is between them and their God.