PESHAWAR, April 14: The Awami National Party (ANP) has extended full support to the internal and external policies of the government which, it said, were in consonance with the long-held standpoints of the party.
A resolution said that the changes brought about by the post-Sept 11 situation and its implications at the international and national level were thoroughly discussed at the party’s central council meeting at Bacha Khan Markaz.
The meeting was presided over by the party president Asfandyar Wali Khan.
The meeting expressed its satisfaction over the fact that the party had long been advising past governments to implement those policies which were now being acted upon at the international and national levels to a certain degree.
The resolution referred to the situation in Afghanistan which, it said, affected the region, particularly Pakistan, Pukhtunkhwa (the NWFP) and Balochistan. It said that efforts were now being made to form a broad-based government in Afghanistan and convene a Loya Jirga in June to frame a new constitution and a national government — a plan advocated by the ANP since long.
Likewise, it said, the party had also been advising the resolution of all problems with India through negotiations and thus supported the government’s policy of restraint vis-a-vis the neighbouring country.
The meeting expressed its grave concern over the prevailing law and order situation, particularly incidents of kidnappings, robberies and killings of doctors in Sindh and elsewhere in the country. It made special mention of Dr Inayat Roghani’s (brother of the incumbent health minister in the NWFP) case, who was kidnapped a few weeks ago and remains untraced thus far.
The resolution also referred to the price hike, particularly the increase in prices of medicine, gas, electricity and petroleum products and demanded that the raise in prices be withdrawn. The meeting also demanded of the government to accept the genuine demands of the doctors community and stop their harassment.
The meeting demanded renaming of the NWFP as Pukhtunkhwa, also approved by the NWFP Assembly.
A resolution condemned the condition of allowing only graduates to take part in the October elections as, in its view, 99 per cent of the population did not possess that qualification. It also condemned the increase in the number of seats in the parliament and the imbalance that it would cause among the federating units.
It demanded that balance among the federating units at the time of a joint sitting of the parliament, as enshrined in the 1973 constitution, be maintained.
The meeting condemned the killings of Muslims in India and Palestine and demanded an end to it. It also called for the construction of Lowari Tunnel in Chitral.
It endorsed the party’s working committee’s decision on referendum as correct and termed it “in the interest of the people and the country.”
