With the general election only months away, holding political campaigns has become difficult for almost all political forces in the militancy-hit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The leaderships and workers of almost every political party, including the Awami National Party (ANP), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F), Aftab Sherpao’s Qaumi Watan Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid have been targeted by suicide bombers. The ANP has remained on top of the militants’ target list, as it was the only party that not only adopted a clear stance on militancy, but took military action in Malakand Division, FR Peshawar and adjacent areas of the Peshawar district.
The ANP always demanded military action against militants in the Tribal Areas, resulting in frequent terrorist attacks on its members.
ANP lost two MPAs, Alamzeb from Peshawar and Dr Shamsher from Swat in 2009. In October 2008, party chief Asfandayr Wali Khan escaped a suicide attack on eid. Similarly, Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti, Senior Minister Bashir Ahmad Bilour, Afzal Khan Lala, Minister for Information Main Ifitkhar Hussain, Afrasiab Khattak, Sardar Hussain Babak, Deputy Speaker Khushdil Khan, MPA Aurangzaib Khan and Alamgir Khalil have been caught in militant attacks.
Besides, the party has lost dozens of its local leaders, including nazims, and more than five hundred workers. Other parties have also been on the hit list of militants, especially QWP’s Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao. He and his son escaped a suicide attack on March 3 this year in Kangra village in his native Charsadda district. Sherpao was twice targeted earlier as well.
Although leaders and workers of other parties have been also targeted by militants, political and security experts believe it will be more difficult for the ANP to go to the public as long as the TTP existed and ANP stood alone against the militants.
Only on Tuesday, militants targeted an ANP public meeting in Charsadda, injuring two police personnel and eight activists. But despite the attack, ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan and Chief Minister Hoti attend the gathering and addressed workers.
A day after the blast, TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said the attack was just the beginning and they would carry out more attacks on secular political parties like the ANP and MQM.
He warned the people not to attend rallies and public gathering organised by these parties, as attacks would be intensified on political gatherings of the two parties. In Karachi, the MQM has a clear stance on the presence of Taliban in Karachi and wants their elimination.
But still, militants have also attacked religious-political forces in the province.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman was attacked twice, once in Swabi and then in Mardan in March 2011. Similarly in February, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf also fell victim when its public rally was attacked in Swabi.
A police van on duty was targeted at Shewa after PTI chief Imran Khan left the venue of the public meeting. Amir Muqam, then the provincial president of PML-Q, also escaped suicide attacks twice. Former JI chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed also escaped an attempt on his life on November 19, when a female suicide bomber blew herself near his convoy in Haleemzai tehsil of Mohmand Agency.
But despite continued attacks on its leaders, the ANP has been among the public and organising various meetings. Its leadership is committed to hold public rallies and carry out public political campaigning for next election. Responding to TTP warnings, Mian Iftiakhar Hussain said the attacks were an attempt to demoralise the party, but they terrorists could not stop them from campaigning to mobilise people for the general election.
“Everyone knows well that the ANP has always raised voice against the militants and its leaders and workers never bow their heads to them, nor will be bow down in the future,” said Bashir Ahamd Bilour, ANP’s Senior Minister in KP.
