PESHAWAR: Awami National Party central general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain on Tuesday said the federal government should accept the genuine demands of Imran Khan of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Tahirul Qadri of Pakistan Awami Tehreek.

He, however, said Imran Khan’s call for non-payment of taxes and the prime minister’s resignation was unwarranted.

“Both Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri should stop sit-ins outside parliament in Islamabad and allow the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government in the centre to complete the five-year constitutional term in office,” he told a public meeting in Choki Mamraiz area here.

Hussain said the no confidence motion against Chief Minister Pervez Khattak would succeed as the PTI lawmakers were not ready to resign from the provincial assembly.

Iftikhar says Imran’s call for non-payment of taxes, PM’s exit unwarranted

He said the nine MNAs and 14 MPAs of PTI from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had openly announced they won’t resign.

“They (PTI lawmakers) have openly criticised the party’s decisions on quitting assemblies or dissolving provincial assembly insisting they’re not taken into confidence on them,” he said.

The ANP leader said different political parties and leaders had begun dialogue with Imran Khan but the latter’s rigidity spoiled the process.

He alleged Imran Khan was trying to force the government into using violence against marchers to damage the government’s reputation.

Hussain alleged if the people stopped paying electricity bills and taxes, it would harm the country and not the federal government and that the PTI chief’s call for the purpose was unconstitutional.

He suggested that political parties resolve issues in parliament instead of through sit-ins.

The ANP leader said the country’s economy had suffered billion of rupees worth of losses due to the PTI and PAT sit-ins in Islamabad.

“The country can’t afford such adventures during the current critical times,” he said.

Hussain said the government should help internally displaced persons of North Waziristan as they had rendered great sacrifices for restoration of peace in the country.

He said alleged Imran Khan was trying to compel the government for using violence against marchers in Islamabad to damage its (government’s) reputation.

The ANP leader said his party had accepted the results of the 2013 general elections just to strengthen democracy in the country though it had serious reservations about them.

He said the ‘dance shows’ like those organised by the PTI outside Parliament House daily were not allowed even in Europe.

Hussain criticised the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for ‘doing away with’ the information department and said the chief minister had appointed a blue-eyed person to a BPS-17 post to run the department.

He said under the Constitution, it was the people’s right to protest for rights.

ANP leaders Malik Juma Khan, Shahzad Mohammad Nisar, Abbas Khan and Ijaz Khan also addressed the public meeting.

On the occasion, former provincial assembly candidate Shahzad Mohammad Nisar Khan along with a good number of people made an announcement about joining ANP.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2014