Presidential system will not be acceptable in any form: ANP

Asfandyar Wali says meddling with provincial autonomy to hurt the country


Shahid Hameed February 07, 2019
Asfandyar Wali Khan. PHOTO: FILE

PESHAWAR: Awami National Party President Asfand Yar Wali Khan has made it clear once again that the purpose behind meddling with the financial clause of the 18th Amendment of the constitution is to increase the budget of the “na maloom afraad” or the unidentified people.

He warned that this step of meddling with provincial autonomy enshrined in the 18th Constitutional Amendment will be detrimental for the country.

“The presidential system will not be acceptable in any form. This system is a chain to depict Punjab as Pakistan which ANP will fully oppose,” Wali Khan said while addressing a ceremony held in Jeddah to mark the death anniversaries of Bacha Khan and Wali Khan, said a statement issued by ANP.

Presenting tributes to the sacrifices of Bacha Khan and Wali Khan in the freedom movement and for democracy, he said: “The political predictions of our elders 40 years ago stand true today.”

However, Asfandyar said, their elders were branded traitors for opposing Afghan Jihad and US involvement in the region.

He claimed that the government was in fact following the policies of ANP elders by starting operation Radd-ul-Fassad. ANP had always opposed using Pashtun lands for hosting non-state foreign fighters.

On the topic of peace in Afghanistan, he said that the participation of the Afghan government in the dialogue process was necessary.

He called for China and Russia to play an effective role in bringing peace to the war-torn nation.

Wali Khan reiterated that a peaceful Pakistan was not possible without a peaceful Afghanistan. He warned that failure of talks will lead to Pakistan’s destruction once again.

“The Pashtuns have always suffered discriminatory attitude by all governments,” he said.

He alleged that those who opened Kartarpur corridor in a bid to promote friendly ties were silent on the closure of Torkhum border.

He alleged that the government had become indifferent after abolishing the old tribal system in the tribal districts and the non-implementation of a new law in that region was a source of difficulties for the tribal nation. He also termed the delimitation for the tribal elections as being controversial. He also alleged that by making one provincial constituency from Peshawar to Dera, the government had tried to hush up the matter.

“The ANP fought a war for the province’s identity and was successful in this regard as the Pashtuns had been given their identity,” he proudly claimed.

He criticised the government saying that double standards had been adopted in the name of accountability which will have negative consequences.

Asfandyar commended the overseas Pakistanis for moving along with the ideology of Bacha Khan despite being away from their families and homes. He urged the Pakistanis living abroad to respect the laws of the countries they were residing in. 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 7th, 2019.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ