SWABI, Feb 7: Central President of Awami National Party Asfandyar Wali Khan has criticized the government condition of graduation for candidates willing to contest national and provincial assemblies elections, and urged the government to review its decision.

He was speaking at a public meeting convened in connection with the 14th death anniversary of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan here on Thursday.

Later, along with provincial senior vice president Bashir Bilour and deputy general secretary Iftikhar Hussain Shah, the ANP leader visited Thoordher, Kunda, Shamansoor and Zaida areas where a number of leaders of PML-N announced that they had joined the ANP.

“What kind of democracy is it that a person could use his right of vote, but could not contest election due to the graduation condition which had caused unrest among the leaders of all political parties and they wanted the government to reconsider the decision,” he said.

He asserted that the graduation condition for the candidates of national and provincial assemblies was a strange one and it should be waived.

He also criticized amendments to the Anti-terrorism Courts Act, saying when an army officer would sit beside a judge in the court, it would “negatively” affect the proceedings of the case. It is neither in the interest of the country, nor beneficial for the judicial system of the country, he claimed.

If the armymen were to be inducted in the anti-terrorism courts, the government should have established military courts to handle the terrorism cases.

He said the ANP always called for a peaceful settlement of all outstanding issues with India, including Kashmir.