PESHAWAR: Awami National Party has demanded greater autonomy for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in its affairs under the 18th Amendment and asked federal government to hand over administration to civil departments in tribal districts.

Addressing a press conference after holding a provincial cabinet meeting of the party, ANP provincial president Aimal Wali Khan demanded of the government to hand over administrative authority to civil officers in tribal districts of the province and strengthen the civil administration.

He also demanded of the government to give more power to the elected representatives in development of the tribal districts. He asked federal government to provide Rs100 billion as announced earlier to tribal districts.

According to a press release, the ANP provincial president said that 18th Amendment gave the provinces rights on their resources and power to make decisions on many matter.

Aimal Wali asks govt to strengthen civil administration in tribal districts

He said that if any move was made amend or abolish the 18th Amendment, ANP would launch protest that would be started from Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh. ANP would not be a silent spectator and would not let anyone to make changes about to 18th Amendment, he added.

Aimal Wali said that they would not accept a uniform curriculum or syllabus as provinces were empowered to prepare their own syllabus according to their needs. He said that a uniform curriculum would not suit all the provinces and ANP rejected any such suggestion or move.

The ANP leader also demanded some rights assured under the 18th Amendment for the province and said that first the federal government should pay the province Rs550 billion as royalty of electricity as so far not a single rupee was paid to the province in that head.

Despite generating electricity, the province was sold the electricity per unit at Rs18 to Rs20 and there was power outages too that was clear violation of the province’s rights on its resources, he added.

The meeting also discussed the state of education during the coronavirus pandemic and demanded provision of internet service to tribal districts to facilitate students in attending online classes.

The ANP provincial cabinet also discussed the loss of lives in Sheikhupura train tragedy and said that a burial site should be established for the religious minority of the province.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2020