ANP postpones July 5 protest against new op

The Awami National Party (ANP) postponed its July 5 protest in Malakand Division against the Azm-e-Istehkam operation and demanded of the government to take all political parties into confidence before launching any such initiative.

Addressing a press conference at the Bacha Khan Centre in Peshawar, ANP Provincial President Mian Iftikhar Hussain and other party leaders also demanded transparent and impartial election in the country, saying that February 8 election lacked credibility.

“The announcement of Azm-e-Istehkam operation has been made in haste and without consultation. We reject this operation. The government was forced to issue an explanation on the issue and on the basis of that explanation, we are postponing our peaceful protest in Malakand on July 5,” Hussain said.

“We want a consensus strategy. Though, we do not trust the federal government's explanation, yet we believe it this time and are postponing our protest. If the government backs down from its announcement, we will protest against it,” he added.

Hussain said that instability was being created in Pakistan by external forces. He stressed that this problem could be addresed if the National Action Plan (NAP) was implemented. He suggested that no action should be taken without taking parliament into confidence.

Hussain cited reports that 40,000 terrorists were brought from Afghanistan, alleging that these people were now part of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and committing terrorism. He accused Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur of adopting dual policy on the matter.

“Chief Minister Gandapur supported the Azm-e-Istehkam operating in the Apex Committee while his party, the PTI, opposed it. This means that they are both supporters and opponents of the Azm-e-Istehkam initiative,” Hussain said.

The ANP leader also said that there were problems on the Pak-Afghan border, because the bilateral trade had been stopped. He announced that the ANP would convene a consultative meeting with other parties on July 8 to discuss the situation in the province and devise a joint action plan.

Fresh elections

Responding to a question from the media persons, the ANP provincial president stated that if the party was invited to the all parties conference proposed by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, “we will consider the invitation”.

Hussain cast doubt about the fairness of the February 8 general elections, saying that “whoever won the elections and whoever lost, both are saying that the vote was rigged”. Therefore, he added, no one trusted this parliament and the government. “Fresh elections should be held immediately.”

The ANP leader also criticised the federal budget, terming it a plan to impose more taxes at the behest of the international Monetary Fund (IMF). “The economic situation will change through this budget. Is it an independent country when it has been held hostage to the IMF,” he asked.