PESHAWAR: The Qaumi Watan Party and Awami National Party have expressed serious concern about threats to the life of political leaders and asked the government to take appropriate measures for the security of the politicians identified in a police security alert.

QWP provincial chairman Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao told Dawn here on Saturday that the police had issued a security alert to party chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao but didn’t increased his security.

He said the QWP leadership would continue to raise voice for the people’s rights despite threats.

“The alert was issued over two months ago but we didn’t disclose it. Now, the police made it public,” he said.

Mr Sikandar said the police did nothing except visiting his party chief’s house a couple of times for ‘security checking’.

He said the terrorist activities in parts of the country, especially Waziristan district, were on the rise.

Police say political leaders, pro-govt elders, police officials on hit list of terrorists

The QWP said more and more people were receiving extortion threats in Shabqadar and Tangri areas of Charsadda district causing unrest among the people.

He said the resurgence of anti-state and anti-social elements would be very unfortunate.

Meanwhile, ANP spokesman Zahid Khan condemned threats to the life of the party’s central general secretary, Mian Iftikhar Hussain.

In a statement, the spokesman said it was the state’s responsibility to ensure the people’s protection.

He said the country faced serious problems and the situation would worsen if the government didn’t take appropriate steps to maintain security.”Mian Iftikhar as a provincial minister had always played his role in the best interest of the country against terrorists,” he said.

Meanwhile, provincial spokesperson for ANP Samar Haroon Bilour said it was a matter of concern that Mian Iftikhar and two other party leaders faced life threats from terrorists.

In a social media message, she said the state should recognise its responsibility and provide security to those identified in the security alert, while the relevant agencies should formulate a comprehensive strategy to prevent terrorist activities.

A letter issued by the Peshawar Central Police Office on Sept 16 said QWP chairman Aftab Sherpao, ANP leader Mian Iftikhar, a Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MNA from Bajaur, some pro-government elders, politicians of Mohmand district, and police officials of Mardan and Charsadda districts were on the hit list of terrorists.

It said terrorist groups recently held a meeting in Afghanistan’s Kunar province with banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan chief Mufti Noor Wali in the chair.

“The meeting decided to conduct joint terrorist activities in different districts of Pakistan to create a law and order situation.

The participants were given the task of targeting pro-government individuals, high-ranking officers of law-enforcement agencies and politicians and collecting extortion from wealthy people,” it claimed.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2020