Aimal addresses workers’ convention

KHAR: Awami National Party (ANP) provincial President Aimal Wali Khan said on Saturday that innocent Pakhtuns were being targetted but nobody was speaking about the ‘centres’ of terrorists in Punjab.

“Unfortunately, the Pakhtuns have been labelled as terrorists, but the hideouts of the terrorists are located in Punjab. The terrorist can be seen freely roaming and accompanying ministers,” he remarked while addressing a workers’ convention at Aman Kor in Bajaur tribal district.

He said the Pakhtuns could not afford any war and they should not be made to fight the state. He said though the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) had been abolished, the bureaucrats posted in the merged districts still behaved arrogantly. The ANP leader said the prime minister and his cabinet members did not have any authority as they were puppets. He warned Bajaur district administration of severe reaction if Jalal Khan, the incarcerated son of former MNA Shahabuddin Khan from Bajaur, was not released forthwith. “We will not tolerate if any Pakhtun irrespective of his political affiliation was subjected to injustice,” he declared. Condemning the Mohmand incident, he said the Pakistani establishment should respect the Pakhtun women as per the Pakhtun traditions and the teachings of Islam. “The Pakhtuns should be respected. We should not be compelled to take any extreme step that might undermine Pakistan,” he threatened.