Imran has gathered all thieves and robbers: Asfandyar

CHARSADDA: Awami National Party President Asfandyar Wali Khan said on Sunday that all the state resources were used to make Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan as prime minister of the country.

"Imran Khan has gathered thieves and robbers from all over the country in the name of electables," he said while speaking at a public meeting arranged here to remember several members and supporters of the Khudai Khidmatgar Movement who lost lives when law-enforcement agencies opened fire on the unarmed protesters here at Babarra on August 12, 1948.

Paying rich tributes to the Babarra martyrs, the ANP chief said scores of followers of Bacha Khan sacrificed their lives at Babarra 70 years back for our bright future." The sacrifice will be remembered for all times to come," he added.

Asfandyar Wali Khan said that threat alerts were issued to Mian Iftikhar Hussain and other ANP leaders almost on daily basis.

"The party leaders are even told of the age of the would-be suicide bomber, complexion, dress and even time. But one thing is strange that despite having all this information, he cannot be arrested.

The ANP leader said Imran Khan was set to become prime minister. Imran Khan will have to contact a seminary forthwith to convince the Taliban to resume talks as the PTI-led government had given Rs520 million funds to the seminary seek protection from the Taliban attacks, he said.

Asfandyar Wali came down hard on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (r) Dost Muhammad Khan for claiming that the caretaker setup had arranged free, fair and transparent general election.

"The caretaker chief minister has told the most blatant lie of the history by terming the recent elections as the most transparent elections of the history of the country," said the ANP chief.

The ANP chief was also critical of the Supreme Court Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and asked him to at least take oath from his district returning officers about the transparency and fairness of the July 25 general election.

Asfandyar Wali claimed that the polling stations were closed on July 25 after 6pm for an hour and made the PTI candidates successful by stamping the ballot papers.

Asfandyar said the they had been excluded them from Parliament but nobody could oust them from politics. "The ANP will continue the political struggle by adhering to the political philosophy of Bacha Khan," he pledged.