Maryam Nawaz’s Remarks Insult Sacrifices of KP People, Says Khwaja Hoti


MARDAN (Special Correspondent): Former federal minister and senior politician Nawabzada Khwaja Muhammad Khan Hoti has strongly condemned Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s remarks regarding neighboring provinces, particularly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying that shifting the blame for terrorism onto smaller provinces is unjust and amounts to an insult to the sacrifices rendered by the people, security forces and police of KP.


Speaking to the media at Hoti Bagh, Khwaja Hoti said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, along with the Pakistan Army and police, had made enormous sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and played a vital role in protecting Punjab and other parts of the country from terrorist attacks. Former provincial minister Abdul Subhan Khan was also present on the occasion.


He said thousands of soldiers, police officers and personnel had laid down their lives in the war against terrorism, while prominent figures including Bashir Bilour, Hayat Muhammad Khan Sherpao and the young son of Mian Iftikhar Hussain had also been martyred. He added that political leaders, including Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao and Maulana Fazlur Rehman, had also faced terrorist attacks.


Khwaja Hoti said the sacrifices made by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the fight against terrorism could not be ignored. “We consider the people of Punjab our brothers, but it is inappropriate to portray Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as being among the enemies,” he said.


Commenting on the administrative situation in the province, he said weaknesses certainly existed in the provincial administration, while complaints regarding transfers and postings in the police department were also common. He called for effective action against illegal housing schemes and land-grabbing mafias, saying complaints had also emerged in some areas regarding alleged involvement of police personnel in facilitating the occupation of people’s lands.


Discussing the country’s political situation, the former federal minister said the existing system was caught between dynastic politics and dictatorship rather than genuine democracy. He remarked that, in his view, dictatorship was preferable to the existing “dynastic democracy,” arguing that a dictator eventually leaves after a few years, whereas family-based political rule has continued in different forms since the creation of Pakistan.