Militants’ return: ANP wants action against facilitators

PESHAWAR: Provincial president of the Awami National Party Aimal Wali Khan on Sunday said the federal government instead of launching a new operation against terrorists on the Pakhtuns soil must first take action against those who had brought the militants back to the

country.

“We will not allow the common Pakhtuns to be used as firewood in the war economy,” Aimal Wali Khan said in a statement issued here by Bacha Khan Markaz Peshawar on Sunday.

He said unless those facilitators were not exposed and punished who had struck deals with the militants and facilitated them to come back and resettle in the country, the ANP would not allow anyone to launch new military operation on the Pakhtuns soil.

“Those who facilitated the militants must be dealt with the law of the land,” he said and added that ousted prime minister Imran Khan, President Dr Arif Alvi, former chief minister Mahmood Khan, former spymaster Lt-General (Retd) Faiz Hameed and KP erstwhile minister Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif must be asked on what conditions they had made a deal with the militants and facilitated them to resettle in Pakistan,” the ANP leader added.

Aimal Wali Khan alleged that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was imposed on Pakhtuns in 2013 with the open support of the Taliban militants and it was given power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after the again general elections.

The ANP leader alleged that chief justice of Pakistan had lost credibility and the ANP would launch a protest movement till his removal if he did not resign before Eidul Fitr.“If the judges of the apex court are interested in politics and favoring a particular political party, they must quit offices and join active politics,” he suggested.

Aimal Wali said that general elections must be held on the same day — October 08— as the results of the Punjab election would ultimately affect the results of polls in the rest of the country.

He said the ANP was fully prepared for the upcoming elections and had announced candidates for provincial and National Assembly but the polls should not be held on the wishes and dictate of a particular political party.