If Zardari’s sister can appear before JIT, why can’t PM's: Asfandyar

PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party (ANP) President Asfandyar Wali Khan on Sunday said if the PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s sister can go to the JIT then why Prime Minister Imran Khan can’t do so. He was speaking at an event organised at the Bacha Khan Markaz in connection with the death anniversaries of Abdul Ghaffar Khan aka Bacha Khan and his son Abdul Wali Khan. The ANP senior leaders including Ghulam Ahmad Bilour and Mian Iftikhar Hussain and Afghan Cultural Attaché Hazrat Wali Hotak also attended the event. Asfandyar warned the policy makers of the dangers of the reckless steps being taken at a time when the country was facing international isolation. “Pakistan is facing isolation due to flawed and failed policies,” he maintained. He advised the policy makers to learn from the mistakes of the former Soviet Union and devise policies in the best interest of the country. The ANP chief said they were the custodians of the 18th Amendment in the Constitution and warned of street protests if even one clause of the amendment was changed. He said it would prove costly for the rulers if they tried to amend the financial clause of the 18th Amendment. The ANP chief said the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) had been abolished, but the country’s laws were yet to be extended to the erstwhile Fata. “The government’s inability to implement the country’s laws in former Fata has created problems for residents of these tribal districts,” he said. Asfandyar said Waziristan was still not safe for its residents. He said that making governor the head of the merged tribal districts was meant to freeze the system of government.

The ANP chief said Prime Minister Imran Khan had been propagating that he would build five million houses in Pakistan, but he was unable to see the destroyed homes and infrastructure in Waziristan. He asked the government to show seriousness in the reconstruction, return and rehabilitation of the displaced families from former tribal areas.

Asfandyar expressed astonishment over the peace talks in Islamabad that would be held in the absence of Afghanistan.

“Pakistan, US, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries are attending the Afghan peace talks in Islamabad, but the Afghan government will not be represented,” he pointed out.

He said talks about Afghanistan without the participation of the Afghan government could not succeed.