HYDERABAD, June 22: The President of Awami National Party (ANP), Asfandyar Wali Khan, has called for an increase in the number of Senate seats in proportion to the increase in National Assembly.

Addressing a convention of the party workers and later talking to newsmen here on Friday night, Mr Khan pointed out that smaller provinces had an equal representation in the joint sitting of parliament. In the wake of an increase in the NA seats and present delimitations, he added, Punjab would have an overwhelming majority in the joint sitting of parliament. Such a situation, he said, would not help eliminate the sense of deprivation prevailing among the smaller provinces.

The ANP leader criticized the condition of graduate for a candidate contesting in the upcoming election and said that the party would move apex court if the same was not dropped.

Calling for a solution to the Kashmir issue in accordance with the Simla accord through bilateral negotiations, Mr Khan said that his party favoured political and diplomatic support to the Kashmiris but opposed the cross-border incursion from Pakistan side.

About the FBI raids in tribal and other areas of the country, he said that it was the United States which doled out dollars, supplied weapons and trained the people like Gulbadeen Hikmatyar for a Jihad in Afghanistan and nobody objected at that time. However, he added, the ANP never supported an outside interference in that country.

He demanding Rs91 billion royalty for the NWFP under the head of electricity generated from Tarbela Dam saying that the people of the provinces were in dire need of education and health facilities.

Mr Khan pointed out that the government’s new policy towards Afghanistan was in line with the views of the late leader, Bacha Khan.

Rejecting the allegations about the ANP having indulged in any deal with the government, he said that the party supported President Musharraf on some points which could not be called a deal.

Asfandyar Wali welcomed the promulgation of Registration of Madressah Ordinance and said that his party condemned terrorism in all its manifestations.

Other party leaders, including Aurangzeb Khan, Qamoos Gul Khattak, Dr Ishtiauqe and Asmatullah Mehsood also spoke on the occasion.