PESHAWAR: Asfandyar Wali Khan on Friday said that if the federal government revokes the 18th Amendment, there would be five constitutions instead of one.
Speaking at a convention of party workers at Nishtar Hall, the ANP central president said the 18th Amendment provided the province with autonomy for the first time in the history of Pakistan. He warned if the government or any political party tries to change or annul the amendment made to the 1973 Constitution in 2009, it would have a serious impact on the federation.
There was some talk on the federal level about changes to the Constitution and the ANP would strongly oppose any such move, Asfandyar told charged party workers, all sporting the party colours. He said on the other hand, the party would support the federal government against any unconstitutional effort to topple the elected regime.
“We will never support any political party that aims to remove the government led by Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N),” he stressed, referring to the protests of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT).
“The Islamabad sit-in is an insult to protests,” said Asfandyar. He added that while it was the right of every political party to protest, the PTI sit-in showed signs of immaturity. He said PTI should focus on improving conditions in K-P instead of political agitation.
Asfandyar said the ANP does not want to create any hurdles for the PTI-led government in Khyber-Pakhtunkyhwa (K-P) as the party believes in democratic ways to play the role of the opposition. He stressed the ruling party in K-P must fulfil its promises made to the people during elections.
The ANP chief claimed the people of the province were standing behind the ANP once again as the PTI has failed to deliver. “Leaders will start a door-to-door campaign to revive ANP and throw the bat out of the province,” said Asfandyar.
Talking about Pak-Afghan ties, he said it was impossible to maintain peace in the nation without stability in the neighbouring country. He urged both countries to show their sincerity towards ensuring peace and to develop an understanding to make negotiations successful.
Turning his attention back to the home front, Asfandyar said the provincial government and administration has failed to restore peace and warned the ANP would agitate if a party worker was killed in any part of the country.
Former K-P chief minister and ANP provincial president Amir Haider Khan Hoti, central general secretary Mian Iftikhar Husain, senior leader Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, information secretary Sardar Husain Babak and other party leaders were also present on the occasion.
“The youth lured by the PTI through false slogans are now chanting ‘Go Imran Go’ in the province,” claimed Hoti in his address to the workers. He said the ANP government, during its rule in K-P, completed mega development projects, while the incumbent PTI regime was only busy staging sit-ins.
“We constructed nine universities, three hospitals for children and repatriated 2.5 million IDPs from Malakand. The PTI has not opened a single dispensary or primary school, while IDPs are languishing in camps.”
Hoti said through the 18th Amendment, the ANP gave the province a new name. He added the huge gathering at Nishtar Hall showed that the ultimate umpires are the people of the country.
“It is under a proper plan that ANP workers and leaders are being targeted in the province,” Mian Iftikhar Husain said, adding if the bloodshed did not come to an end, “it will have serious consequences”.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 15th, 2014.
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