ANP calls for poll reforms

PESHAWAR: Awami National Party (ANP) has said all political parties must sit together to work on poll reforms before going for the next general elections in the country.

Talking to media persons after the party’s central working committee special meeting at the Bacha Khan Markaz on Tuesday, ANP central senior vice-president Amir Haider Hoti said unfortunately the present coalition government had not taken serious initiatives for election reforms.

He said the next elections would raise many questions if conducted without election reforms

Senior ANP leadership, including Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, central secretary general Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Senator Hidayatullah Hussain Shah and provincial president Aimal Wali Khan were present during the press conference.

“If the elections are held before the scheduled time, there must be reforms with the consensus of all political parties, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf,’ Haider Hoti added.

He said his party had respect for the judiciary and judges but the courts must remain in the constitutional frame while interpreting constitutional matters. The ANP leader said the courts should not re-write or make amendments to the Constitution but interpret the related issues.

The ANP leader said, unfortunately, the politicians and parliamentarians had taken the parliamentary matters to the judiciary where a particular bench was given the task to deal with constitutional matters, adding the decision of a particular bench and judges would affect the image of the judicial system.

Haider Hoti said the ANP was neither part of the Pakistan Democratic Movement nor became part of power-sharing in the present coalition government in the Center but supported the Shehbaz Sharif government for strengthening democracy, the supremacy of parliament and improving the economic situation.

“We have nothing to do with the governorship of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as we have already withdrawn from the race but the federal government must appoint a new governor for the province,” he added.

To a question, the ANP leader said his party would not become hurdles to the ongoing peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban in Kabul if the terrorism-affected people are taken in confidence, the writ of the government is accepted and basic fundamental human rights are accepted by the proscribed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan leadership.