PESHAWAR: Awami National Party (ANP) President Senator Aimal Wali Khan has sharply criticized the federal and provincial governments over the worsening security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, accusing them of failing to protect citizens and law enforcement personnel amid a surge in militant attacks.
In his statement issued on Thursday, Khan said that the province has been left to fend for itself from militants as the political leaders are engaged in power politics. According to him, more than a dozen police personnel have been killed in different attacks in the past 24 hours, but the authorities have not done anything other than condemnation.
He maintained that the latest attacks were a result of failed state policy and the government’s inefficacy, as the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and police of the province have become victims of the ineffective security policy of the authorities. He denounced the attacks on police in Swat, Hangu and Matani Peshawar, as well as the quadcopter attack on the mosque in Waziristan.
He went on to say that the events were an indication of the state’s failure to exercise its writ, pointing out that it is the duty of the government to take tangible steps and not just to condemn verbally.
ANP’s chief has also blamed the provincial government, stating that it is busy with political gatherings in order to free a criminal, while the federal government is involved in the issue of electoral fraud during the Kashmir elections instead of dealing with the security situation.
According to him, it was due to the lack of a national anti-terrorism strategy that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan became targets of increasing violence. He accused the state authorities of their incompetence, indifference and lack of seriousness that allowed the militants to regroup and become strong.
Stating that the situation may worsen even further in case no steps are taken, he said that the existing government will be responsible for the worsening of the situation.
Reaffirming his party’s position, Khan remarked that ANP had always been against terrorism and will keep up their fight for peace and democracy. He insisted that ANP had not compromised at any point on the issue of militancy and will continue to fight against terrorism and those supporting it.
