NOWSHERA/BUNER: Awami National Party central general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain on Tuesday said the recent violence was meant to force his party to boycott elections but the tactic didn’t work.

The ANP leader told a public meeting in Choki Mamraiz Mina area of Nowshera that the party would never leave the electoral arena open to opponents by boycotting the July 25 polls.

He said it was ironic that the political campaign of PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was restricted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while JUI-F leader and candidate Akram Durrani was also targeted in the province for the same purpose.

Declares PTI chief friend of terrorists

Mr Hussain said the election violence was meant to favour the PTI.

He said the imprisonment of former premier Nawaz Sharif at a time when electioneering peaked was preplanned to make the PML-N boycott elections.

The ANP leader declared the PTI chief a friend of terrorists, claiming that Imran Khan had offered offices and money to militants in the province.

He said Imran Khan should look at own deeds before blaming others for corruption.

Mr Hussain said the PTI chief’s father was expelled from government service on corruption and wondered how a person who grew up in a corrupt environment could fight corruption.

He criticised former chief minister and PTI leader Pervez Khattak for ‘using abusive

language’ against opponents and accused Mr Khattak of committing massive corruption.

The ANP leader said he hoped that the people won’t blindly believe in the hollow slogans of the PTI and would vote his party to power.

ELECTION PRIORITY: ANP provincial president Ameer Haider Khan Hoti on Tuesday said his party would accord top priority to education, health and infrastructure development in the province after winning the coming elections.

Addressing an election rally in Nawagai area here, Mr Hoti said the ANP government would set up postgraduate colleges for men and women in the area, while development projects especially construction of roads and bridges would be completed on priority basis.

He said the party would create massive employment opportunities and provide educated youths with interest-free loans for business.

On the occasion, Syed Muamber Bacha announced that he along with friends and supporters had parted ways with the PML-N and joined the ANP.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2018