PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party on Friday demanded the immediate release of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf workers from jails and said all of them should be given the chance to speak to the media about the May 9-10 riots.

In a statement here, ANP Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president Aimal Wali Khan said that the PTI leaders, who appeared on television screens to announce their exit from the party or politics, were pardoned but the poor workers continued to languish in jail.

“Such discrimination is unacceptable,” he said.

Mr Aimal said that former chief minister Pervez Khattak and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser should face the cases like the PTI workers, who were held over the May 9-10 violent protests.

Aimal complains PTI leaders being pardoned but workers still behind bars

He alleged that PTI leaders were involved in corruption but no serious action was taken against them.

“When will the corruption in BRT, Billion Tree Tsunami, Malam Jabba Scandal and Health Card projects be taken up? Those responsible for corruption in the award of contracts to fake testing agencies, MTI Act, accountability commission, Swat Expressway and other development projects in tribal districts should also be held accountable,” he said.

The ANP leader said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the province worst hit by terrorism during the last many decades.

He claimed that the PTI, during its nine years long rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, received Rs417 billion from the federal government for the counter-terrorism department, but it was not known where and how the money was spent.

Mr Aimal said that instead of fighting terrorists, the ruling PTI “re-organised” them and even paid them from the exchequer.

“It is the sign of a lack of seriousness on part of the former [PTI] government that even the CTD headquarters wasn’t built by it,” he said.

The ANP leader said that KP continued to suffer from the bad law and order situation, but it was more upsetting to note that the amount of its external debts had gone beyond the Rs887 billion mark.

He said that the people, who looted the taxpayers’ money, didn’t deserve any concessions.

“PTI leaders Pervez Khattak and Mehmood Khan along with their accomplices should be held accountable for corruption,” he said.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2023