Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah defended vociferously the right of Pakhtuns by stating that Pashtuns have complete right to reside in Punjab and abhorred the allegations of their victimisation at hands of Punjab Police by further saying that these were attempts to "spread hatred" against Punjab.
Provincial Law Minister addressed before the media after the meeting was held between Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif and a delegation from the Pakhtun community led by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Amir Muqam.
In attempt to show mutual love, understanding, brotherhood and unity; Provincial Law Minister quoted the Chief Minister who said: "Pakhtuns living in Punjab are our brothers and sisters. They have the same right to live and conduct business in Punjab as anyone else."
He further said that Pakistanis living throughout the country, together, have given sacrifices in the combat against terrorism and expressed feelings of lamentation that the common man sometimes had to face problems during search operations. He referred to the suggestions given by Ameer Muqam to consider he "protection of the four walls of houses and people's respect" during the search operations, to which the Chief Minister provided his assurances regarding the efforts to be made.
He deplored the profiling allegation to be an agenda on lines of depicting enmity against country. "It is highly condemnable that some so-called political parties and leaders in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are doing political point scoring on the matter... they want to gain people's sympathies by inflicting fear in them," he said.
Days after the attack on Lahore's mall road, the Provincial Intelligence Centre of the Punjab Home Department issued a letter directing police high-ups to tighten security in different cities of the province as part of countrywide crackdown against militant organisations.
"Combing operations [must] be conducted in all targeted areas, particularly where the Afghan/Pathan community is residing," the letter read as the Home Department instructed law enforcement agencies to ensure extreme vigilance.
The KP Provincial assembly, yesterday, unanimously adopted resolution in which they targeted the ''racial'' policies and victimisation of Pakhtuns at hands of Punjab government and condemned the harassment and ethnic profiling of Pakhtuns in Punjab, Sindh and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
“People of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including businessmen, traders and daily wagers, have settled in Punjab and other areas (of the country). Unemployment and militancy have forced Pakhtuns to migrate to other provinces to earn a living, but they are being victimised,” stated the the resolution.
