PESHAWAR: Awami National Party provincial president Aimal Wali Khan has demanded that those who took the decision of resettling militants in Pakistan should be taken to task.

“The security agencies have admitted bringing the militants back to Pakistan from Afghanistan during the rule of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government was a wrong decision, so those who took the decision should be punished,” he demanded in a video message released from the Bacha Khan Markaz here on Wednesday.

“Resettlement of militants was and is a project of a few persons,” he said and demanded: “Former army chief Gen retired Qamar Javed Bajwa and former Inter-Services Intelligence chief Gen retired Faiz Hameed should be questioned as to why they committed such a heinous crime.”

Aimal Wali claimed that 100 militants were freed during the PTI government and action should be taken against former prime minister Imran Khan, President Arif Alvi and former adviser Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif.

He said ANP stood against all forms of militancy and would continue to resist the menace.

He also claimed he was facing threats to his life and told workers that if something bad happened to him, they should not lodge an FIR, and should instead take revenge from the perpetrators of terrorists.

“If something happens to me, the ANP workers should take revenage from Gen retired Qamar Bajwa, Let-Gen retired Faiz Hameed, President Arif Alvi, former prime minister Imran Khan, former KP chief minister Mahmood Khan and former adviser Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif,” he said.

The ANP provincial president disclosed that security agencies had arrested a suicide bomber from Charsadda two weeks ago, who revealed during investigation that he belonged to the so-called Islamic State-Khurasan group and wanted to target him (Aimal). He also said another suicide bomber was arrested from a religious seminary in the provincial capital, who also wanted to target him.

“It looks like after the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Tehreek-i-Taliban Afghanistan, we are now on the hit list of the so-called Islamic State,” Aimal Wali said, adding: “This is what happens when you raise voice for Pakhtun’s rights.”

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2023