ANP demands fresh general elections

PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party (ANP) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter on Monday called for fresh general election in the country, a day after the same demand was made by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl.

“The elections should be held under the supervision of an independent Election Commission as the February 8 general elections results have been rejected by almost all political parties,” said the party provincial president Mian Iftikhar Hussain while addressing a news conference here at Bacha Khan Markaz.

Flanked by the provincial general secretary of the party, Hussain Shah Yusufzai, the ANP leader reiterated his party stance on the military and spy agencies’ interference in the elected government affairs, elections and other democratic processes in the country, seeking an end to the practice.

Mian Iftikhar postponed the scheduled protest rally in the Malakand division against the proposed Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, saying that this has been done as the federal government as well as the Army had clarified that no major military offensive would be conducted in the province.

He said the ANP had given the call for a peaceful protest rally in the name of “Amn Pasoon” in Malakand division for July 05 against the likely military operation but postposed the rally after clarification by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Inter-Services Public Service Relations) about Operation Azm-e-Istehkam.

“We have a history of struggle for peace and against terrorism on our soil and have opposed the militants at all platforms but will never allow fresh military operation without the approval of the parliament and consensus of all stakeholders,” Mian Iftikhar said while giving the background for the decision to postpone the Amn Pasoon.

The decision to stage the protest was taken during the ANP provincial chapter office-bearers meeting on Friday last in Peshawar. The ANP leader said the Apex Committee had announced Operation Azm-e-Istehkam in haste and which created an impression that the security forces would launch a new military operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of the country. Therefore, he added, the ANP opposed it since day one as the common people had suffered both in military operations and peace agreements with terrorists in the past.

“We still believe that strict action should be taken against terrorists and extremists and there should be no distinction of ‘good’ or ‘bad’ terrorists,” he said.

The ANP leader said the crackdown must be launched in the Punjab first where, he alleged, the religious extremists and terrorist groups had bases and leadership.

Mian Iftikhar said he was not biased against a particular province, region or group but the existence of terrorist groups and networks had been identified by the Interior Ministry in the recent past which was also reflected in the National Action Plan (NAP) against terrorism and extremism in the country.

“Unfortunately, the NAP was not fully implemented and only one point -- establishment of military courts -- was followed while other points for the complete elimination of terrorism were not implemented,” he said and added that the domestic and foreign policies of the country must be evolved as per wishes of the general public.

To a question, the ANP leader said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had adopted a dual policy on Operation Azm-e-Istehkam as the PTI MNAs raised hue and cry in the National Assembly over the offensive while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur did not raise any objection to the operation during the Apex Committee meeting.

“We have not received a proper invitation from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for an All Parties Conference on Operation Azm-e-Istehkam and will see how much the provincial government was serious about the establishment of peace on our soil,” he said and added that the ANP would also convene a consultative meeting of the like-minded parties to discuss plan for political alliance and provincial rights.

Mian Iftikhar rejected the annual budget for the current fiscal year and said it had been prepared at the behest of the International Monetary Fund, saying no relief was given to the general public and instead, new taxes were imposed.