PESHAWAR: Awami National Party (ANP) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Mian Iftikhar Hussain on Sunday said that the government’s writ was “nowhere to be seen” in the province, alleging that worsening security had forced people to migrate even from Tirah, the native district of the chief minister.
Addressing a joining ceremony in Tehsil Topi, he criticised the provincial leadership for what he described as indifference towards the people, saying the chief minister and cabinet were “busy picnicking in Karachi” instead of addressing public concerns.
Mr Hussain said that while Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) had the right to pursue its political agenda, neglecting the province was unacceptable. “PTI should do its politics, but why are the people of the province being punished?” he asked.
He said that although provincial autonomy had been given constitutional status, the people had yet to benefit from it due to “incompetent governance” over the past 13 years. According to him, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was bearing the brunt of the ongoing conflict between the federation and the province and needed to rise above politics to secure its rights.
Criticising the closure of trade routes with Afghanistan, Mr Hussain termed it unacceptable and said war was not a solution to the region’s problems. “Issues must be resolved through diplomatic negotiations,” he said, adding that shutting down trade routes was an attack on the livelihoods of Pakhtuns and a conspiracy against the economy.
He stressed the need to review economic, internal and foreign policies in the public interest and warned against turning Pakhtun areas into battlegrounds for international powers. “Pakhtuns have no option but to raise a red flag to protect their rights and resources,” he said.
Referring to terrorism, the ANP leader said his party had fought militancy both physically and ideologically, and that peace was achieved only when political forces took ownership. He recalled the resettlement of around 2.5 million internally displaced persons and said peace would remain elusive unless responsibility were accepted.
Mr Hussain announced that celebrations marking the anniversaries of Bacha Khan and Khan Abdul Wali Khan would begin on January 20, with an inauguration ceremony at Bacha Khan Markaz organised by the Bacha Khan Trust. ANP central president Aimal Wali Khan will attend as a special guest. A grand public meeting will be held in Charsadda on January 23, for which party workers from across the province have been directed to ensure full participation.
During the ceremony, dozens of activists from various political parties, along with their families, announced joining the ANP. Several senior party leaders and office-bearers were also present.
