PESHAWAR: Awami National Party chief Asfandyar Wali Khan has termed the demands of Pushtun Tahafuz Movement valid and urged the government to resolve the issues under the law and constitution of Pakistan.

“These demands are not new as ANP has been raising these issues at various platforms for decades,” he said in a statement issued from the Bacha Khan Markaz here on Tuesday.

He stated that he had himself participated in the PTM sit-in in Islamabad and had announced that their demands were valid. He said he had asked the prime minister to take notice of their demands and resolve them.

“We support upholding democratic values, supremacy of law and constitution and believe in non-violence,” Asfandyar said, adding his support for PTM’s demands echoed in different public meetings held in big cities.

However, he quickly clarified that ANP would not support or pursue any unconstitutional move or adopt any illegal means to press for resolving these demands. He said being follower of Bacha Khan, ANP neither adopted any undemocratic move nor supported such an act.

He expressed concern over the fresh wave of targeted killings and incidents of kidnapping for ransom and termed it a bad omen for peace.

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2018