PTI, ANP question ban on PTM

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Awami National Party on Tuesday questioned the ban on the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement.

Adviser to Chief Minister on Information and Public Relations Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, in a statement, said the provincial government was committed to upholding the Constitution and the rule of law. He said the federal government recently declared an organization as banned.

He asked why the representatives of the federal government were not speaking about the decision to ban the organization.

“We are the protectors of Pakistan, its flag, and its Constitution,” Barrister Saif said. He lauded the security forces for rendering the sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and praised their efforts to ensure national security.

However, Barrister Saif criticized the federal government for their silence on key issues. He said, “It is unfortunate that the federal government and its allies are now hiding their faces.”

He accused the members of the ruling coalition of remaining silent and avoiding addressing the key issues.

Meanwhile, Awami National Party president Aimal Wali Khan also questioned the ban on the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) and announced participation in the jirga.

“The ban on PTM will not serve the purpose, rather it will complicate the situation,” he said, adding they would support every voice to support peace in the Pakhtun soil. He said the problems of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should be solved through negotiations.

He said the ANP delegation led by Mian Iftikhar, the provincial head of the party, will attend the PTM-convened Pakhtun Jirga.