LOWER DIR: Awami National Party central general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain has asked the government to play its role in establishing durable peace in Afghanistan.

He was addressing a workers’ convention in Balambat on Monday.

Mian Iftikhar said situation in the neighbouring country was rapidly changing, and that his party fully supported a peaceful Afghanistan.

The ANP stalwart termed the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government as ‘selected’ and ‘illegitimate’, saying it was being run with the establishment’s support that had always hurt the democratic system in the country.

“The establishment has always derailed democracy in Pakistan by turning majority into minority,” he alleged.

He said Imran Khan had started his long march from Karachi in 2014 with the establishment’s support and reached Islamabad without any hurdle. He said supporters of the PTI leader had taken law into their own hands by attacking government buildings.

He said the ANP was a majority party in the past but it was deliberately divided into smaller groups. He alleged that the main political parties like the PML-N and PPP were restricted to Punjab and Sindh only.

“Imran Khan is an expert on U-turns and a habitual liar who took dictation from IMF and the World Bank. The government has no authority over the State Bank which has sold out the poor people of Pakistan,” remarked the ANP leader.

Mian Iftikhar alleged that corrupt elements had surrounded the prime minister and the government had failed on all fronts.

VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT: The first ‘Jashn-i-Azadi’ volleyball tournament concluded at the government high school, Shamshi Khan in Talash on Monday.

A total of 26 volleyball clubs from different districts of Malakand division participated in the event.

Asad Club Munjai defeated the Ouch Volleyball Club in the final.

The event continued for two weeks.

Former provincial minister Muzafar Said was the chief guest on the final day.

He along with school principal Aftab Alam Khan and PPP senior vice-president Tahir Khan distributed shields, trophies and cash awards among the winner, runner-up teams and the best players of the event. They also announced Rs50,000 for the winning team.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2021