MINGORA: Awami National Party provincial president Aimal Wali Khan alleged here on Tuesday that Prime Minister Imran Khan sold off Kashmir under a deal with Indian premier Narendra Modi.

Speaking at a meet the press programme in Rahimabad during his visit to Swat, he said that the issue of Kashmir could never be resolved through street protests of PTI leaders.

“Soon after the prime minister’s visit to the United States, India revoked Article 370 of its constitution and deprived Kashmir of its special status. We understand that it was all done under a deal reached in the US,” said the ANP leader.

He asked Imran Khan to bring forth the details of the deal and stop showcasing of public rallies for Kashmir. He said that ANP stood with the people of Kashmir and respected their wishes.

“It is up to the people of Kashmir to decide their future. They should be given the right to decide whether to join Pakistan or India or remain independent state,” said Mr Khan. He added that the Kashmir issue must be resolved according to the resolution of United Nations.

He said that it was not possible for India and Pakistan to initiate a war. Both the countries were doing politics of interests on Kashmir issue, he added.

He also said that ANP had not yet decided to take part in the long march announced by JUI chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. “ANP believes in democracy and wants to keep democracy intact and will never support undemocratic forces.

The present government has already crumbled and if Islamabad is blocked, it will harm democracy,” he said.

The ANP leader said that PTI was hesitant to hold local government elections as the party knew that the unseen forces would not help it in the polls.

He said that government failed to address the issues of people.

“The PTI government failed to deliver in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa despite having second tenure where the party could not carry out any mega project. PTI strengthened the culture of corruption, nepotism and inflation, which ultimately crushed poor people in the province,” he alleged.

Mr Khan said that the province witnessed the harshest time in every sector during the last six years of PTI rule.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2019