PTI’s unclear stance on terrorism behind people’s anger, says Iftikhar

PESHAWAR: Awami National Party (ANP) General Secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain Wednesday said that the people were infuriated by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s unclear stand about terrorism and the protest by parents of the Army Public School (APS) martyrs was a reflection of their anger.
“PTI is not clear in its policies. If they can’t clearly support army’s action against terrorism, the people would express their sentiments in this manner,” he told news conference at Bacha Khan Markaz.
He rejected Information Minister Mushtaq Ghani’s allegations of ANP’s involvement in the anti-Imran protest outside the APS on the occasion of Imran Khan’s visit to the school. “ANP wasn’t involved in the protest whatsoever. But if the parents of the slain students have raised the slogan of ‘Go Imran Go’, we strongly support them,” he remarked.
He said that the spokesman for the provincial government gave the statement in the present of Imran Khan and Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, which he strongly condemned. “Let me tell them that ANP is not that weak to rely on the heartbroken parents for staging protest. We can bring our workers to the streets and stage big protests,” Mian Iftikhar said.
He said that the ANP was a major political force and nobody can throw it out from the arena of politics. He said that Imran should have tolerated the slogans raised by the angry parents. “But he lacks political grooming and he can’t tolerate protest against him and his party,” the ANP leader claimed.
He said that no one should use the APS tragedy for political point-scoring and everyone should express solidarity with the bereaved families irrespective of party affiliations. Accompanied by other party leaders, including Sardar Hussain Babak, Arbab Tahir, Mukhtar Lala, he said that for the first time in the history of the country an environment of unity has been created against terrorism. “No one should shatter this unity,” he added.
He said that some elements might be conspiring to disturb the consensus against terrorism. “We need to find out those elements and maintain the unanimous stand of all the political forces and military leadership against terrorism,” he stressed.
He said at a time when everyone was mourning the massacre of the children and all eyes were focused on the tragedy, Imran Khan got married and the attention of media was diverted. He said that there was no need for Imran and other politicians to visit the school a month after the tragedy.
He said that the ANP was the strongest force against terrorism and it would continue to fight against the menace. He said that all the political forces should come forward against terrorism irrespective of their political ideologies.
Meanwhile, ANP’s provincial president Ameer Haider Hoti urged the Pakhtuns to get united against terrorism. He said that Imran Khan should stop playing politics on the blood of martyrs. “It is time for unity against terrorism and he should play a role in ridding the nation of the menace,” he said while addressing a party gathering here.Dozens of people announced joining the ANP on the occasion. Notable among them were Haji Jahanzeb, Haji Mushtaq, Nisar Khan, Abdullah, Muttahir Ali, Bashir Khan and Jamshed Khan.