MARDAN: Awami National Party’s provincial president Ameer Haider Hoti has said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should take leaders of all political parties into confidence over formation of judicial commission to probe Panama leaks issue.

He was addressing his party workers at a gathering held in Par Hoti area here on Thursday. On this occasion, district councillor Yar Mohammad Khan announced to join ANP along with his relatives and friends.

Mr Hoti said that demand for resignation of the prime minister before proving allegations of Panama leaks against him was not justified. He claimed that people of the province were fed up with the so-called claims of change being made by the leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

Hoti says people fed up with PTI’s claims of change

He said that despite being in government for the last three years, the party could not bring any visible change in the province. “Once again the people are looking towards ANP,” he claimed, saying that the PTI-led provincial government had done nothing for development of the province.

He said that his party was gaining popularity with each passing day due to poor governance of the incumbent provincial government as well as good performance of the previous ANP government. He lamented that the provincial government was powerless as the rulers could not do anything without the permission of Bani Gala.

He said that had the prime minister consulted the political leadership and taken them into confidence before his address to the nation there would have been no differences over the terms of reference of the commission.

Mr Hoti said that the provincial government had failed to provide protection to people of the province. He said that the government had slashed development funds and stopped work on projects of the district headquarters hospital, Benazir Children Hospital, Bacha Khan Medical College and other schemes, which were launched by the ANP government.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2016