Federal, provincial govts blasted for failure to curb terrorism

NOWSHERA: Awami National Party (ANP) leader Mian Iftikhar Hussain on Wednesday said that terrorism was the biggest issue in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and blasted the federal and provincial governments for their failure to curb the menace.

“Initially, it was started as guerrilla warfare but later it turned into a conflict between two countries - Afghanistan and Pakistan. This is no longer just a regional war but has escalated into an international conflict,” the nationalist leader opined while addressing a gathering at the residence of ANP district president Zahid Khan.

The meeting was held in commemoration of the death anniversaries of Bacha Khan and Wali Khan. ANP local leaders Zahid Khan, Atlas Khattak and Brig (r) Saleem Khan also addressed the event.

Mian Iftikhar urged the government and security institutions to implement the National Action Plan and put an end to the doctrine of good and bad Taliban.He said that all terrorists, regardless of affiliation, must be eliminated to restore a lasting peace in the region. He said that terrorism had created chaos and violence in the region, and both the federal and provincial governments had failed to address the issue.

He accused foreign powers, including India, US and other countries, of deliberately prolonging the conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan. He stressed that both countries must resolve their issues independently while respecting each other’s sovereignty.

He said that both Pakistan and Afghanistan were sovereign countries, and neither should interfere in the affairs of the other. “If this situation spirals out of control, it will lead to widespread devastation, with the Pashtun population suffering first, followed by the rest of Pakistan and eventually the world,” he predicted.

Mian Iftikhar said had Bacha Khan’s philosophy of non-violence and Wali Khan’s principles of democratic supremacy been followed earlier, the current situation could have been avoided.He urged political leaders to adopt a rational approach and focus on peace through the philosophy of non-violence. He stressed the need for strengthening democracy, the constitution, and parliamentary supremacy, rather than allowing external forces to dictate national policies.

He criticized the government for blindly following American interests, stating that this approach must change. He praised Bacha Khan and Wali Khan for their principled politics, emphasizing that Bacha Khan was globally recognized for his philosophy of non-violence. He highlighted how Bacha Khan endured immense hardships for the Pashtun people and how his predictions about the region’s future had proven to be true.

Mian Iftikhar lamented that the war imposed on Pakistan has yet to end. He also pointed out that the Taliban had now established a “shadow cabinet” in Pakistan, announcing their organizational structure at the district level, including the appointment of governors and commanders.

He asked the establishment and the government to take immediate action, saying that if war was imposed on the Pashtuns, they would resist it fiercely. He rejected any negotiations with militants unless they had the approval of Parliament