ANP leader warns of stern reaction if fair polls not held

PESHAWAR: Awami National Party (ANP) provincial President Aimal Wali Khan on Wednesday warned that his party might adopt undemocratic ways and means if free and fair elections were not held in the country.

“The ANP strongly believes in democracy and considers that holding free and fairs election is the essence of true democracy but if someone tried to steal the people’s mandate and the genuine political parties are deprived of their democratic rights the ANP would be compelled to adopt undemocratic means to get its rights,” he said while addressing social media summit of his party at Bacha Khan Markaz in Peshawar. The ANP leader said that the upcoming general election would not be engineered or hijacked by the military establishment or other institutions but would be held as per wishes of the people of Pakistan. He said that his party was fully prepared for the upcoming general election scheduled for February 08, 2024.

Aimal Wali said the ANP rendered great services for democracy, rule of law, supremacy of the parliament, peace and provincial rights and no one can make the ANP deviate from its principled stance. “Under a conspiracy, the ANP leaders and Pakhtun nationalists were not allowed to return to the parliament in the 2018 general election but we have not stopped our politics and are raising voices for peace and provincial rights,” he said. He added the ANP would defend and protect the 18th Constitution Amendment as it had ensured provincial rights to smaller provinces. The ANP leader said the establishment must admit its mistake and let the politicians run the country. “We believe in having a strong army but all the state institutions must remain within its constitutional domain,” he added. The ANP leader asked the party workers and social media mobilisers to fully prepare for the upcoming general election and promote the party’s cause in a befitting manner both on social media and run a spirited election campaign.