ANP condemns Quetta tragedy, announces 3-day mourning

PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party (ANP) has condemned the deadly Quetta terrorist attack and announced a three-day mourning to express shock over the tragedy.

The party would also hold a condolence reference to express concern over the incident and show sympathy with the victims and their families. ANP head Asfandyar Wali Khan condemned the brutal act and said the menace of terrorism cannot be done away without taking stern and indiscriminate action against the terrorist elements.

He said the massacre of innocent people in Quetta was aimed at spreading terror in the country. “The nation is united against the terrorists and they won’t be allowed to accomplish their nefarious designs,” he added.

Asfandyar Wali said the frequent terrorist incidents had made life miserable for the common people. He said the people were fed up with lifting the coffins of their near and dear ones. He said that terrorism would have to be uprooted for maintenance of durable peace.

The ANP leader was of the opinion that the federal government had failed to fully implement the 20-point National Action Plan. “Had the government implemented NAP in letter and spirit, this grave tragedy would have been averted,” he remarked.

Asfandyar Wali expressed shock over the martyrdom of all the innocent people including Askar Khan Achakzai, the brother of Balochistan president of ANP Mohammad Asghar Khan Achakzai. In a separate statement, ANP secretary general Mian Iftikhar Hussain stressed the need for across the board action against all the terrorist groups to establish peace.

He said that it has been the persistent demand of ANP to take effective action against all the terrorist groups without any discrimination.

Mian Iftikhar said that terrorists should not be linked with any community or religion. “They should be treated as only terrorists and a stern action should be taken against them. The terrorists are not Sindhi, Baloch, Pashtun or Punjabi. They are only terrorists and across the board action should be taken against them,” he stressed.

ANP provincial president and former chief minister Ameer Haider Hoti also expressed grief over the loss of precious lives in the Quetta carnage. He said that the leadership and workers of ANP had rendered great sacrifices for peace. Despite countless attacks on our leaders and workers, we didn’t leave the people alone and carried out successful operation against the terrorists,” he said in a statement.

He urged the government to review its policies and take serious measures to rid the people of the menace of terrorism. Meanwhile, Asfandyar Wali Khan announced three-day mourning over the incident. He urged the party leaders to arrange fateha khwani for the departed souls in all the offices of the party and hold condolence references.

The ANP flag on all its offices in the country would be flown at half-mast, he said. ANP provincial general secretary Sardar Hussain Babak said that ANP would arrange a condolence reference at its central headquarters – Bacha Khan Markaz, Peshawar – wherein the party leaders would offer fateha and pay homage to the martyrs.