KARAK: Awami National Party provincial president Aimal Wali Khan has said that the rulers are trying to keep the Pakhtun areas backward.

He was addressing a public meeting at Latamber here on Tuesday during his four-day visit to the district.

The ANP leader claimed that they were making struggle for attainment of the rights of Pakhtuns and resolved that it would be continued till the attainment of autonomy on minerals of the province.

He said that when Punjab could ban flour supply to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa then why the latter had not been given the right to stop the supply of oil, gas and electricity to Punjab.

Aimal Wali said that Pakhtuns had to join ANP to get employment opportunities and right over their own resources. He said that he had come to the people of Karak district with a request to support the nationalist party for attainment of their rights and resolved that he would make all-out efforts for improvement of the socioeconomic conditions of the people.

Aimal Wali seeks Karak people’s support for party

The ANP provincial chief recalled that the previous MMA government had initiated five per cent royalty of oil and gas to Karak district that was doubled by his party’s last government. He claimed that his party would again double the royalty funds if they were voted to power.

On this occasion, ANP parliamentary leader in the provincial assembly, Sardar Hussain Babak, regretted that the residents of oil- and gas-rich areas had been deprived of basic amenities.

He claimed that the incumbent provincial government had not initiated any development project in the district despite having huge resources.

Mr Babak said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was producing 6,000 megawatts of electricity, but its distribution system had been installed in Lahore and their province had no autonomy over their own resources.

He claimed that different allegations were levelled against them when ANP talked about provincial autonomy. He asked the people to support his party for securing their rights.

Former provincial minister Fareed Toofan and party’s provincial joint secretary Khursheed Khattak also spoke on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2020