New wave of terrorism: ANP asks govt to implement National Action Plan in true spirit

PESHAWAR: Awami National Party has once again demanded the government to implement the National

Action Plan in its true spirit and take into confidence all the political parties and other stakeholders to overcome the new wave of terrorism in the country.

Speaking at a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, provincial spokesperson of the ANP, Samar

Haroon Bilour, said that Pakistan must check and tackle all possible threats of terrorism before the withdrawal of the US-led foreign troops from Afghanistan as the terrorist organisations were once again regrouping in some parts of the country. The ANP also condemned the terrorist attack at a four-star hotel in Quetta where the terrorists succeeded in entering the premises along with explosives into the high-security zone. She was flanked by members of ANP provincial information committee Hamid Toofan and Dr Zahid during the news conference.

Samar Haroon Bilour, who is an MPA from Peshawar, said that the third wave of coronavirus was most fatal and severe compared to the previous waves in the country but the government was not serious to take proper and timely steps to control it.

She also criticised the slow process of vaccination against Covid-19 and said that it could take about 20 years to vaccinate the whole population if it continues at the current pace. All the major hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and rest of the country had no extra capacity to accommodate and facilitate the coronavirus patients, she said, adding, the government was confused and unable to take bold and right decisions in time.

She said, the government must announce a special relief package for the traders and business community as the shopkeepers and small businessmen had been adversely affected in the current and previous waves of coronavirus pandemic.

The ANP leader also questioned the establishment of so-called “Sasta bazaars” in the province where the people have to wait in long queues to get small quantity of edible items during the holy month of Ramazan.

Samar Haroon Bilour also came down hard on the economic policies of the PTI-led government and said the foreign debts had increased double-fold while inflation had reached its highest point during the last two and half years. “Changes in the federal cabinet and finance managers would not make any real change but the government has to improve its economic policy in the country,” she maintained.