Outcry: Party members object to arrest warrant for Sitara Ayaz
Say accusations of corruption are baseless
The government should take back the arrest warrant of Ayaz or we will hold a demonstration in front of the Chief Minister House. PHOTO: ONLINE
SWABI/SHANGLA/PESHAWAR:
The members of Awami National Party’s Swabi chapter protested on Monday against the Ehtesab Commission for issuing an arrest warrant of former provincial minister for social welfare Sitara Ayaz over charges of corruption.
“The government should take back the arrest warrant of Ayaz or we will hold a demonstration in front of the Chief Minister House and block the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway,” said one of the ANP activists at Aman Chowk in Swabi where all the protesters were present.
“The charges over (corruption amounting to) Rs 1 billion are baseless; ANP leaders do not indulge in such corrupt practices.”
The protesters said the party will rise to power with a decisive mandate in the next general elections. “The incumbent government is trying to lower the graph of ANP by accusing its members in fake cases of corruption,” said a protester.
In Shangla, ANP district president Haji Said Fareen Khan and General Secretary Advocate Altaf Hussain also condemned the arrest warrant. Agitated party members said they would not let the provincial government bring them down through media trials.
On the other hand, ANP K-P Information Secretary Haroon Bilour is of the view that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government is engaged in a revenge war against ANP and the arrest warrant of Ayaz is a clear proof of it.
This was stated in a press release issued from ANP provincial secretariat on Monday.
“It is unfortunate the Ehtesab Commission is being used as a tool to blackmail people; in the past militant groups were targeting women and now PTI is doing the same,” Bilour is quoted as saying.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 20th, 2015.
The members of Awami National Party’s Swabi chapter protested on Monday against the Ehtesab Commission for issuing an arrest warrant of former provincial minister for social welfare Sitara Ayaz over charges of corruption.
“The government should take back the arrest warrant of Ayaz or we will hold a demonstration in front of the Chief Minister House and block the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway,” said one of the ANP activists at Aman Chowk in Swabi where all the protesters were present.
“The charges over (corruption amounting to) Rs 1 billion are baseless; ANP leaders do not indulge in such corrupt practices.”
The protesters said the party will rise to power with a decisive mandate in the next general elections. “The incumbent government is trying to lower the graph of ANP by accusing its members in fake cases of corruption,” said a protester.
In Shangla, ANP district president Haji Said Fareen Khan and General Secretary Advocate Altaf Hussain also condemned the arrest warrant. Agitated party members said they would not let the provincial government bring them down through media trials.
On the other hand, ANP K-P Information Secretary Haroon Bilour is of the view that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government is engaged in a revenge war against ANP and the arrest warrant of Ayaz is a clear proof of it.
This was stated in a press release issued from ANP provincial secretariat on Monday.
“It is unfortunate the Ehtesab Commission is being used as a tool to blackmail people; in the past militant groups were targeting women and now PTI is doing the same,” Bilour is quoted as saying.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 20th, 2015.