Aimal says Pakhtuns suffering due to alien war on own soil

PESHAWAR: Awami National Party (ANP) President Senator Aimal Wali Khan on Saturday said the state of Pakistan had once again compromised on peace for Pakhtuns who had been suffering due to an alien war on their soil over the last five decades.

Addressing a function at Nishtar Hall here, the leader said the government and state institutions must show seriousness to bring durable peace to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan where anti-state elements had intensified activities.

“The provincial government has lost its writ in most parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where the common people and even government employees are at mercy of militants,” Aimal Wali added.

The ANP Peshawar district had organized the function in connection with the joint death anniversary of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Bacha Khan and Khan Abdul Wali Khan.

Senior Pakhtun nationalist and ANP leader Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, ANP provincial President Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Syed Aqil Shah, Hussain Shah Yusufzai and others addressed the event.

Aimal Wali said the ANP rendered sacrifices for peace on their land at a time when militants targeted its workers and leaders but the party

did not surrender to the terrorists.

“Unfortunately, in 2013 a pro-Taliban political party and people were brought to power and the province was surrendered to militants,” he claimed.

He added that about 40,000 militants were resettled in the province while about 102 declared terrorists were set free from the jails.

He said that after fencing Pak-Afghan border, the government should not blame Afghanistan for attacks inside Pakistan, adding that security forces should take steps to take on the militants.

The ANP leader said that trade routes between Pakistan and Afghanistan had been closed from Chaman to Bajaur that had affected people living on both sides of the border.

“We demand reopening of trade routes and legal channels between Pakistan and Afghanistan,” he said. He added that the security forces should not interfere in politics and government affairs but concentrate on its professional duty. He said the Pakhtuns must be given rights and due share in the natural resources being generated on their land.

The ANP leader rejected the recently amended Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and termed it a bid to muzzle the press and curb freedom of expression.

He said the ANP had always advocated for upholding supremacy of the parliament, freedom of the press and independence of judiciary. The ANP leaders paid glowing tributes to Bacha Khan and Wali Khan.