PESHAWAR: Awami National Party has warned the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf against introducing presidential form of government and rolling back the 18th Amendment.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, ANP newly-elected provincial president Aimal Wali Khan said that prime minister was bent upon rolling back the 18th Amendment.

He said that prime minister was waiting for green signal from his masters to rollback 18th Amendment, but ANP and other democratic forces would foil the plan of the government. He gave credit to former president Asif Ali Zardari and ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan for granting autonomy to provinces.

Aimal Wali says ANP to resist rolling back of 18th Amendment

“Some forces are trying to rollback constitutional amendment,” said Aimal Wali. He said that ANP had rendered sacrifices for provincial autonomy. He added that puppet rulers had no right to play with the destiny of the nation as people would not accept decisions of the ‘illegitimate’ government.

Responding to a question, Aimal Wali said that politicians were being blackmailed in the name of accountability. He said that headquarters of National Accountability Bureau had become hubs of political activities and genuine politicians were being maligned.

He said that ANP would welcome transparent and across the board accountability and offered to start accountability from the top leadership of his party.

He said that NAB was ignoring billions of rupees of kickbacks and scandals in development projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Aimal Wali said that the people, who were spending 80 per cent of the federal budget, had been exempted from accountability and only those were being targeted who utilised only 20 per cent of the total budget. He asked the provincial government to make report of the provincial inspection team about Bus Rapid Transit project public.

He also demanded abolition of unnecessary checkposts and checkpoints in the tribal districts. He also demanded removal anti-personnel landmines from the conflict-hit areas of defunct Fata.

He said that there was administrative vacuum in the tribal districts after abolition of the colonial-era system and urged both judiciary and government to introduce proper judicial system in the merged areas. He said that judges of the superior courts wanted installation of proper judicial mechanism in those districts but the government was using delaying tactics.

He demanded immediate payment of compensation to the militancy-affected families to rebuild their damaged houses and announcement of National Finance Commission award. He said that government should start five million housing schemes from tribal districts.

Aimal Wali dispelled the impression about differences between Wali Bagh and Bilour family, saying that both families were inseparable. He said that there would be no compromise on the party discipline. He said that he would visit all districts to reconcile annoyed works and leaders of the party.

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2019