ANP would not allow derailment of democracy: Asfandyar Wali

• Says country cannot afford another crisis
• ‘What is the utility of Parliament if it has no powers’

PESHAWAR: Awami National Party (ANP) President Asfandyar Wali Khan has cautioned that with current internal and external situation and tension on three borders, the country cannot afford another crisis.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday in the wake of disqualification of Nawaz Sharif, Wali said despite reservations, they accept the Supreme Court verdict, as they had stated earlier. At the same time, he wished that these reservations were wrong.

He regretted that over the last one year, the political leadership and the media remained glued to the Panama Papers case. He asserted that the ANP stands for the supremacy of democracy and Parliament, and when the need arose, would be ready to give any sacrifice in order to prevent derailment of democracy.

“Now that Panama case has reached to its logical conclusion, the federal and provincial governments should pay attention to real issues of the country and the people,” the ANP chief stressed.

Wali said they had differences with Nawaz Sharif on FATA, CPEC and other issues but they did not go towards any extreme step, leading to destabilisation of the country.

The ANP president asked the political leadership to ensure that Parliament powers remain with the elected house instead of surrendering them to the judiciary. “What is the utility of Parliament if it has no powers,” he emphasised.

To a question, Wali said whenever a judicial verdict comes, some praise it while others criticise it.

To another question, he said it was Nawaz Sharif who opposed the revocation of articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution and he has become the first target of these articles. “Today he [Nawaz Sharif] has become a victim of the same article,” said the ANP president.

He was of the view that if these articles are fully applied, no one would emerge cleaner.