CHARSADDA/ NOWSHERA: Awami National Party president Asfandyar Wali Khan has said that the recent wave of terrorism is an attempt to sabotage general elections in the country.

Talking to mediapersons at Wali Bagh in Charsadda on Sunday, he said that ANP was the only target in 2013, while currently terrorists were targeting all political parties. He said that terrorists’ only agenda was to get the elections postponed.

“The difference between 2013 and 2018 elections is that only ANP was the target in the previous polls while in this election all parties are under attack,” he said.

Hoti urges ECP to take notice of pre-poll rigging in Nowshera

Mr Asfandyar said that politicians should not indulge in point scoring in elections on the issue of terrorism, adding that concrete steps should be taken to eliminate this menace.

He said that the recent terrorist attacks had exposed the police force of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The ANP president said that his party had resumed its election campaign, which would be continued with enthusiasm.

ANP had suspended campaign for three days to mourn the assassination of the party candidate from Peshawar, Haroon Bilour, who along with 21 others was killed in a suicide attack on Tuesday last. He urged political parties to rise against terrorism.

Mr Asfandyar said that Pakistan had been suffering due to war in its neighbourhood.

In Nowshera, ANP provincial president Ameer Haider Hoti alleged that former chief minister Pervez Khattak has lost his mental balance and he was abusing the people of his own constituency.

He was addressing a public meeting at Amangarh here on Saturday night.

He claimed that the PTI-led government of Pervez Khattak was the worst one in KP’s history, as it failed to initiate any development project. He said that ANP would fully participate in the July 25 general elections.

Mr Hoti demanded of the Election Commission of Pakistan to take notice of pre-poll rigging in Nowshera district through continuing work on development projects by district nazim Liaquat Khattak and tehsil nazim Ahad Khattak, brother and nephew of Pervez Khattak, respectively.

He alleged that some forces were trying to enslave the Pakhtun nation, but they would not be allowed to fulfil their nefarious designs.

He said that if voted to power ANP would establish a university each in every district of the province. He said that ANP had established various universities and colleges and provided jobs to Pakhtuns.

A number of JUI-F workers announced to quit their party and joined ANP at the meeting. The party’s candidates for PK-63 and PK-64 were also present on this occasion.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2018