NOWSHERA: Awami National Party central senior vice-president Ameer Haider Khan Hoti said on Wednesday the opposition had succeeded in achieving the goals for which Pakistan Democratic Movement had been formed and its positive effects were visible on the political scenario.

Addressing a public meeting at Mesri Banda in Nowshera where former PTI MNA Siraj Ahmad Khan along with his family joined ANP, Haider Hoti said that the country had lost instead of gaining anything with the imposition of ‘selected’ government on the nation.

He said the 18th Amendment was an interpretation of provincial autonomy guaranteed under the 1973 Constitution and the ANP would not allow any changes to the 18th Amendment whether they were in power or not.

Mr Hoti said the government kitty was empty while the PTI government was accusing the previous governments of corruption. He said the previous ANP government in the province had faced terrorism as well as natural calamities like floods, but they continued their development projects and the province made progress.

He said that his party faced challenges both in Malakand and tribal areas by terrorists, but it laid the groundwork for development projects across the province.

“ANP had also established nine new universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during its rule,” he said.

He said the present government was running the country on loans and donations while urging the people not to worry. He claimed that the present rulers were conspiring to roll back the 18th Amendment.

The ANP leader alleged that the government and other relevant authorities had not been interested in probing corruption in the BRT and Malam Jabba projects besides sugar, flour and petrol scandals.

Mr Hoti said the people of Nowshera would cast their votes in favour of the ANP candidate. Central general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain, district president Jamal Khattak and others also spoke on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2021