SWABI, Jan 10: PPP-S chief Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao has said the ruling ANP has failed to honour its promise of protecting Pakhtun's rights.

He was addressing a public meeting in Kotha on Tuesday where ANP activists announced to join the PPP-S. It is to mention here that some of ANP dissidents have already joined the PPP-S.

Mr Sherpao and other speakers came down hard on the ruling party, alleging the ANP brought workers from outside districts for its public meetings held in Swabi, Charsadda and Mardan. In addition, public servants of various departments were also forced to attend the gatherings to show its strength.

'These meetings were complete failure. Whenthe central leader of a party visits his home town of Charsadda after more than three years how could the party claim to be the custodians of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province,' questioned Mr Sherpao, while referring to Asfandyar Wali Khan, who remained outside Pakistan for some time due to threats to his life.

Mr Sherpao said grievances of Pakhtuns had been increased as there was no electricity and gas and prices of essential commodities had reached beyond the reach of common man.

He was of the view that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, tribal belt and Balochistan were on the boil and there was no ray of hope for the people.The PPP-S chief said the corrupt practices of the present regime had broken all the previous records, adding the people's welfare was no longer the priority of the ANP.

Those who quit the ANP accused its leadership of ignoring the district, saying the slogan that Swabi was second home of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and other ANP leaders was raised just to deceive the masses.

They said the Swabi bypass project was abandoned while the projects of Mardan in the same tender were kept intact. They alleged there was no democracy in the ANP and all the decisions were imposed over the workers from Walibagh and Mardan.