Mian Iftikhar says NAP being implemented selectively

CHARSADDA: Awami National Party (ANP) General Secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain on Monday asked the Punjab government to stop harassing Pakhtuns as it would create mistrust among the people of the two provinces. Talking to reporters here, he said targeting Pakhtuns would create hatred among the people and damage national unity.

He said that the fresh wave of terrorism shouldn't be used as an excuse to target the people of a particular ethnicity. "A group of militants called the Punjabi Taliban is also actively involved in terrorism, but it doesn't mean that every Punjabi is a terrorist. This argument should not be used as a justification to label all Punjabis as terrorists," he clarified. Mian Iftikhar accused the federal government of selective implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) and said that 70 banned organisations were active in Punjab, but no action was taken against them. "The entire country is bearing the brunt of terrorism due to the partial implementation of NAP," he added. He said the government should have extended the military operation Zarb-e-Azb to Punjab and other parts of the country to root out terrorism. He said Pakistan and Afghanistan should not let anyone use them for own vested interests and hold direct talks without involving any third country to resolve their issues.