SWABI, Dec 11: The Awami National Party (ANP) on Tuesday launched its election campaign by holding a public meeting here.

Addressing the meeting, ANP president Asfandyar Wali Khan said that the party would continue its struggle against dictatorship and for the establishment of genuine democracy in the country.

“The ANP has always opposed dictators,” he said at the meeting held in Shewa Adda, the home town of his arch-rival Usman Khan Tarakai. “We want democracy, peace and tranquillity in the country, especially in the Pukhtun belt.”

Mr Wali is contesting election from NA-12, Swabi-I, and would address public meetings in various parts of the constituency on Wednesday. This is the first time that a member of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan’s family who used to call Swabi his second home, is contesting election from the district.

Mr Wali said the ANP wanted to create unity among Pukhtuns who, he added, were passing through a difficult period of their history. This was a time to carve out a future for Pukhtuns, he said, adding that Pukhtuns should understand the conspiracies being hatched against them.

The ANP chief recalled the struggle of Khan Abdu Ghaffar Khan during the pre- and post-partition days.

He said the continued war in Afghanistan, military operation in tribal areas, killings of Pukhtuns in Karachi and violence in Balochistan had inflicted great losses to the Pukhtun nation.

“Pukhtuns are being targeted under a well-planned conspiracy,” he said, adding that there was a need to make a policy for protecting their economic interests and saving their areas from further destruction.

The ANP chief said Pukhtuns were peace-loving people. “We don’t want suicide jackets for our youths,” he said, adding that Pukhtuns needed to get education.

Criticising some religious leaders, Mr Wali said that those who termed wars in Pukhtuns areas as jihad were not their friends. If it was a jihad, why it was only being fought in Pukhtun areas and not in Punjab or any other part of the country, he asked.

The ANP chief criticised the recently ended government of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal in the NWFP. He said the MMA had misled the people.

ANP former provincial secretary-general Salim Khan and some candidates, including Pervez Khan, Zar Shad Khan, Amir Rehman, Mukhtiar Khan, Amjad Ali, Sikandar Irfan and Sarfaraz Khan Jadoon also spoke on the occasion.

Later, Mr Wali inaugurated work on the establishment of the Bacha Khan Education Foundation in Pabini, Gadoon.