PESHAWAR: Awami National Party has vowed to take all possible steps in and outside parliament for protection of the 18th Amendment and getting complete control of the provincial resources in order to bring the backward areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on a par with developed districts of other provinces.

Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Wednesday, ANP provincial spokesperson MPA Samar Haroon Bilour said her party would mark the Bacha Khan Week and 100 years of the Anjuman Islahul Afghan to highlight the significant features of the nationalist movement.

She said the inaugural event would be held at Bacha Khan Markaz in Peshawar on Jan 20 where ANP provincial president Aimal Wali Khan and central and provincial leaders would be in attendance.

Samar Bilour recalled the services rendered by ANP for welfare of the people and claimed that her party had faced many problems, but never compromised on principles. She said the credit went to Asfandyar Wali Khan who played an important role in the approval of 18th Amendment to empower the federating units and get control of provincial resources.

She said that about 100 years ago Bacha Khan being founder of the Khudai Khidmatgar Tehreek had started public services and creating awareness among people to raise voice for their rights.

“The founders of the party had initiated imparting education to Pakhtuns by setting up about 100 educational institutions and started publishing an independent Pashto magazine ‘Pakhtun’ in 1928,” she said.

She said Abdul Wali Khan’s services for strengthening democracy and formation of 1973 Constitution could not be ignored. She said the ANP leaders had played active role in creating awareness among the people of the background of Afghan war which took lives of many Pakhtuns.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2021