PESHAWAR: Calling for complete ‘in-house overhauling’ Awami National Party (ANP) President Asfandyar Wali Khan said on Tuesday that the growing confrontation among institutions should be brought to an end and the country’s foreign policy should be revisited in view of the challenges being faced on internal and external fronts.
“I agree with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Foreign Minister Khwaja Muhammad Asif in their call for in-house cleaning. I would rather say complete in-house overhauling is required,” Asfandyar Wali Khan told reporters at a crowded press conference after the ANP’s central executive committee meeting here.
The spacious hall at the Bacha Khan Markaz, where the press conference was arranged, was full to its capacity partly by media people, but mainly by the ANP leaders.
Prominent among them were general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain, former senator Afrasiab Khattak, Senator Shahi Said, Bushra Gohar, Baz Mohammad Khan and several others.
Asfandyar Wali spoke in detail about the discussions made during the three-day party meeting. He expressed concern over the confrontation among the institutions, saying that in view of the internal and external threats great coordination among the institutions was required. He said everyone, including the political forces, should play an active role for ending the confrontation.
He said solution to all the problems rested with the freedom and autonomy of the Parliament. “Everyone should respect the supremacy of the Parliament,” he added. He rejected the notions of early elections and formation of national government, saying that any such move would be detrimental for the country. “The country cannot afford any more adventurism. It has already suffered badly during the rule of military dictators,” he said.
He also opposed the mainstreaming of certain militant outfits, especially the banned ones by providing them space in the political process.
“If they tender an apology for the crimes they have committed, we would accept them. But if they try to come to the mainstream without seeking apology for their crimes, we would not accept them,” he responded to a question about the formation of Milli Muslim League and polls contested by its candidate in independent capacity on NA-120.
He reiterated his party’s support for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The ANP chief said that it was a matter of serious concern that the people of Fata were deprived of basic human rights even after 70 years of independence of the country.
“The tribespeople have no access to high courts and Supreme Court. They control major share of the business in the settled districts of Pakistan and pay taxes but enjoy no right in their areas of their origin”, he said.
He was also critical of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party head Mahmood Khan Achakzai for opposing Fata merger’s with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The ANP chief said that the merger would not affect the status quo of the Durand Line. “The same line already exists in some settled districts like Dir and Chitral on the northern side and Chaman on the southern side. So mainstreaming of Fata would not affect the current status of Durand Line,” he argued.
Asfandyar Wali also rejected the recent census in Fata and claimed it wasn’t credible as it had reduced the population of the tribal people. He called for correct census in the tribal areas again so that the exact number of the tribespeople could be determined on the basis of which they could get their due share in the National Finance Commission Award.
The ANP chief asked Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to materialise all the promises made by his predecessor Nawaz Sharif with the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata with regard to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
He came down hard on the PTI-led provincial government for the growing unrest in the educational institutions. He said after destroying the health sector in the name of reforms, the provincial government was now carrying out new experiments in the education sector.
About corruption, he said the impression should be removed that the drive against corruption was Nawaz Sharif-specific. “Action should be taken against all those who own offshore companies,” he stressed.
“The Captain himself is owner of offshore companies. Jahangir Tareen has already made confession about owning offshore companies. Therefore, across the board action should be taken,” he maintained.
About Pak-Afghan ties, Asfandyar Wali said the issues between the two countries should be resolved through talks and political means. He said Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had shown willingness for broader talks about a week ago, but no response was given to his offer at any forum in Pakistan.