ANP demands Truth Commission to probe who imposed ‘war on terror’ on Pakistan

PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party (ANP) has demanded formation of a Truth Commission to find out as to who imposed the so-called ‘war on terror’ on Pakistan and who made sacrifices for the state while fighting against militancy.

Addressing a large public gathering at the Ring Road here on Saturday, ANP central senior vice president and former chief minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti said the ‘selectors’ must now have mercy on the nation and save Pakistan instead of saving the ‘selected’ prime minister.

“Such a government has been imposed on Pakistan that had even sold out the national flag carrier (PIA) and put the country on the verge of economic collapse,” he said while addressing the gathering to mark the death anniversaries of freedom fighter Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan aka Bacha Khan and his son Khan Abdul Wali Khan.

ANP central general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain, provincial president Aimal Wali Khan, provincial general secretary Sardar Hussain Babak and other ANP leaders also addressed the gathering.

The ANP staged the public meeting to observe together the death anniversaries of the two founders of the Pakhtun nationalist movement and party. Party workers and supporters came from different parts of the province to attend the gathering. They were waving the red ANP flags and shouting slogans in support of their leaders and for highlighting their demands.

Ameer Haider Hoti said the ‘selected’ prime minister and those who had selected him had gifted to the nation unprecedented price-hike, unemployment and high inflation and put the country under heavy burden of foreign debts.

“The opposition parties under the banner of Pakistan Democratic Movement would continue the protest movement till the removal of the selected prime minister,” he declared. Addressing the gathering, Mian Iftikhar Hussain said those claiming to be loyal to Pakistan had caused its breakup, adding, the democratic and nationalist forces had always tried to stabilize the country and strived for the rule of law, constitution and supremacy of parliament.

He said the former US president Donald Trump had gone and now it was the turn of ‘Pakistani Trump’ to go as the whole nation was fed up with his government and his failed policies. He also asked the newly elected president of the United States, Joe Biden, to carve out a policy for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan.

In his speech, Aimal Wali Khan said that a Truth Commission should be constituted to investigate who had imposed the so-called ‘war on terror’ on Pakistan and who had suffered the most from militancy and terrorism.

He said the federal as well as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments must release special economic package for the newly merged districts, ensure their three percent share in the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award and complete the rehabilitation and compensation process in the militancy-hit districts.

The ANP leader also demanded that former tribal areas should be cleared of landmines while the missing persons be given the chance of a fair trial and produced before the courts. Aimal Wali said the National Action Plan should be implemented in letter and spirit, adding, terrorist organisations were regrouping in some parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.