CHARSADDA: Awami National Party senior vice-president Ameer Haider Khan Hoti has rejected the presidential form of government and said the debate about it was part of a conspiracy to disintegrate the country.

“We [ANP] will protect the 1973 Constitution and parliamentary form of government in the country at all costs,” Mr Hoti told a public meeting held here the other day.

The event was held to mark the death anniversaries of nationalist leaders Bacha Khan and Abdul Wali Khan.MrHoti claimed that the Transparency International’s report had exposed the ‘one-sided accountability drama’ of the PTI government.

He said an increase in corruption incidence in the country was a charge sheet against Prime Minister Imran Khan, so he should quit the office.

The ANP leader alleged that corruption had been rampant in the country since selected Prime Minister Imran Khan assumed his office.

He said the PM tried to terrify the opposition through one-sided accountability, which was exposed by the exit of his aide Shahzad Akbar.

“Now, PM Imran Khan is fearing the people’s backlash,” he said.

Mr Hoti said the ‘cronies’ were deserting the prime minister one by one.

“Wings of the selected prime minister has been clipped and the nation will get rid of him soon,” he said.

The ANP leader said the PTI government had led the country into bankruptcy and was pursuing the agenda of the International Monetary Fund to cause high inflation and unemployment rates.

The event was also addressed by ANP central secretary general Mian Iftikhar Hussain and leaders Ghulam Ahmad Bilour and Sardar Hussain Babak.

They paid homage to Bacha Khan and Abdul Wali Khan and said the party would fulfil the mission of two leaders to serve the people.

The speakers said the world should adopt Bacha Khan’s philosophy of non-violence.

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2022