KOHAT, Sept 12: Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, senior vice-president of Awami National Party, has said that permanent writ of the politicians in the future governments is necessary for democracy and army has no political role to play in the internal and external affairs of the country.

At a party meeting here on Thursday, Mr Bilour asked the candidates to refrain from criticising the political parties and their leaders during the election campaign for the sake of democracy and stability of the country.

He said his party would continue its struggle for autonomy which was the only way of removing the grievances of smaller provinces and winning them their rights.

He deplored that the NWFP had not been paid net profits of electricity according to the NFC awards whereas the government collected billions of rupees in taxes on tobacco and sale of electricity. He disclosed that the NWFP was paying Rs18 billion annually as tax on cigarette industry without any return. The province was poor despite having huge resources of income.

Similarly, the water consumed by Punjab and Sindh was more than the NWFP and, according to an estimate, these provinces used water of Rs500 billion annually whereas billions of cusecs were going waste into the sea.

The district president of ANP, Haji Salamat Orakzai, said that all the six candidates of the party in the national and provincial assembly would win the forthcoming polls. He said that in Kohat ANP was in a very strong position and there was no need to form alliances at the district level or go for seat adjustment.

Aurangzeb Khan, the party’s provincial secretary general, in his speech, exhorted the army rulers to end their political role and pay attention to professional responsibilities. He remarked that Pakistan army had been “conquering its own country” since the independence which had tarnished its image.