Asfandyar warns of protest movement

CHARSADDA: Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali Khan on Monday warned of a protest movement if the government changed the route of the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor.
Speaking at a gathering to mark the death anniversaries of Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Abdul Wali Khan at Wali Bagh on Monday, he said the federal and provincial governments were engaged in a turf war while the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were faced with a myriad of problems.
The ANP chief deplored that his party was accused of being the agent of United States, Russia and India when it owned the war on terrorism. “Terrorism in the region is the consequence of the flawed policies of the past governments,” he argued.
Asfandyar Wali Khan recalled that Bacha Khan had opposed the Afghan jihad as interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan. He said Bacha Khan was against the Afghan jihad as he believed that it would promote violence in the region.
Following the philosophy of its founder, he said, ANP opposed all forms of militancy and terrorism and owned the war against terrorism. “We were accused of promoting the interests of US and other countries when we supported the war on terror,” he said.
Asfandyar Wali said all political parties were in favour of taking a decisive action to eliminate terrorism in the wake of the Army Public School and College carnage. He believed that the political parties had started following the ANP’s stand on the national security.
He lauded the flexible approach of the Afghan government and asked Pakistan to take advantage of the situation, saying that none of these countries could eliminate terrorism unilaterally. “No one should have the illusion that restoration of peace in Pakistan is possible without putting an end to interference in the affairs of Afghanistan,” he added.
The ANP chief demanded action against all militant groups without any discrimination. “There are no good or bad militants. All should be treated as a threat to national security,” he stated.
Asfandyar Wali feared a worse tragedy in case hurdles were created in implementing the National Action Plan. He asked the government to constitute a judicial commission to probe the massacre at the Army Public School and College. The gruesome attack on December 16 had left 150 people dead, mostly students.
The function in Charsadda was unusual as a small number of guests and party workers had been invited there.
Around 500 security personnel were guarding the venue. Scores of party workers expressed anger at the party leadership for not inviting them.
The Charsadda Press Club boycotted the function as invitation was not extended to the media persons to cover the event.