PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government strongly rejected recent charges made by Awami National Party (ANP) Chief Aimal Wali Khan regarding the poor security provided to him during his visit to the province.
In a statement that used strong words, the provincial government asserted that Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur himself phoned Aimal Wali Khan to dispel his security concerns and offered full cooperation. At the Chief Minister’s behest, both the Regional Police Officer (RPO) and District Police Officer (DPO) visited Aimal Wali Khan to request him to present the list of security personnel he has confidence in. No such list was presented by him.
But the KP government stated that security arrangements in Khan’s favor were outside of standard protocol and more personnel were assigned to him than even a provincial minister.
“Complaining now about the source of those personnel, whether they were from the police station, local, or from the police lines is bad faith and disingenuous,” the statement added. “The fact is that his security was provided for, as ensured.”
The KP government also remarked that Aimal Wali Khan is a directly elected senator from Balochistan and therefore, as per constitutional norms, the security of the province is the responsibility of Balochistan and federal institutions. However, putting politics aside, the Chief Minister personally made an effort to provide security to Khan.
The press release further denounced the ANP for seemingly politicizing the situation. “If Mr. Khan wishes to make it a political issue with point-scoring purposes, then it is very clear that all this is about securing publicity and not security concerns. The photographs made public were a response to the political discourse of the ANP on this issue throughout the day,” it read.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government stated that political criticism was a right but misrepresentation of facts and attacking good faith efforts made for the protection of oneself crossed the line of misleading the people.
Earlier, Awami National Party (ANP) President Senator Aimal Wali Khan criticized the provincial government’s reaction to his security details as “ridiculous.”
Refuting the controversy about his security, Aimal Wali Khan declared that the police officers shown in recent photos are not security guards. He alleged that the police officials of Khanmai Police Station were sent before Wali Bagh in a government-organized drama.
“Government has made the false impression that my police security has been withdrawn,” stated Aimal Wali Khan. “The government’s theatrics have to end.”
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He went on to clarify that his personal security personnel are stationed at Wali Bagh and asserted, “I do not need any security being provided by the government.”
This follows tensions between Aimal Wali Khan and the provincial government over his security and protection details.
