Standing firm on its stance on the war on terror, the Awami National Party leadership has urged the militants to get benefits of their conditional offer for dialogue, or they would be chased until elimination.
“Militants must lay arms and recognise the writ of the state,” said ANP leaders while addressing a gathering arranged in connection with the first death anniversary of Mian Rashid Hussain at Nishtar Hall Peshawar on Monday.
Mian Rashid was the only son of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa information minister and was killed by militants in Pabbi last year. Province’s Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti, ANP Provincial President Senator Afrasiab Khattak, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Senator Nabi Bangash, Latif Afridi, Bushra Gohar and several others addressed the gathering. The speakers paid tribute to Mian Rashid Hussain and appreciated Mian Iftikhar Hussain for his courage. They said after the death of Mian Rashid, almost all Pashtuns had become united against the militants.
Declaration: On the occasion, Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti declared July 25 as day of martyrs of terrorism. The Peshawar-based Afghanistan Consul General Syed Mohammad Ibrahimkhel also addressed the gathering and paid tributes to Mian Rashid. He the people in both Pakistan and Afghanistan were suffering a lot due to terrorism and militancy, therefore, they needed to adopt a joint strategy in this respect. Expressing satisfaction over performances and achievements of the ANP government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Amir Haider Khan Hoti recalled that soon after coming into power, the ANP leadership initiated dialogue with the militants despite opposition by the US and several other states.
“And the world witnessed that the ANP’s political initiative exposed the militants. The ANP leadership, in accordance with the political philosophy of late Bacha Khan, announced Nizam-e-Adal regulations in Malakand. But the government was left with no other option except military operation when the militants attempted to extend its regime to other areas. The military operation in Swat remained successful and it led to the dislodging of militant’s network from across the province,” he added.
Demand: Senator Arasiab Khattak said the 18th Amendment had bore many fruits that enabled them to attain the long-standing goal of provincial autonomy. He said now maximum resources of the province would be spent on the province’s betterment.
Khattak said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would now become a prosperous and economically progressive federating unit of the country. While narrating the sad demise of his lone son, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Iftikhar Hussain repeated the offer of surrender to the Taliban.
