ANP to attend sit-in outside parliament: Mian Iftikhar

NOWSHERA: Awami National Party (ANP) general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain Monday said his party would participate in the sit-in by provincial government outside the Parliament against the federal government.
Speaking at a gathering of the ANP candidates for district council in the upcoming local government election here, he said though his party was not satisfied with the performance of the provincial government but would participate in the sit-in for the rights of the province. ANP provincial president and former chief minister Ameer Haider Hoti also spoke on the occasion.
Mian Iftikhar said the provincial government had miserably failed to secure the rights of the province. He said though the ANP had reservations, it would join the protest.
“We are supporting the provincial government despite our reservations. We are just doing it for the rights of the Pakhtuns,” he added. Accusing the provincial government of trying to influence the local government polls, Main Iftikhar asked the Election Commission to stop the rulers from doing so.
He asked the district administrations, police and other departments to remain neutral in the local bodies’ polls. Mian Iftikhar said that the ANP had formed legal aid committees at provincial and district level to coordinate with each other and would collect complaints about the polls.
He said though the three-party alliance had been broken in several districts but hoped that the opposition parties would offer tough resistance to their rival candidates.
On the occasion, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan People’s Party workers, Nawar Khan, Wisal Muhammad and Bakhshish Khan along with their families, friends, well-wishers and supporters announced joining the ANP.