PESHAWAR: Awami National Party provincial president Aimal Wali Khan has said that rolling back 18th Amendment will be disastrous for the country and its people.

“Those, who dream about rolling back the amendment, should think wisely in the larger interest of people,” he told a public meeting here on Sunday.

He said that some politicians were frequently changing their ideologies for coming into power and getting personal benefits. He said that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-Parliamentarian chairman Pervez Khattak remained in government during the two tenures of PTI and enjoyed all powers with the slogan of bringing change in the system. He was again trying to hoodwink people from the platform of his own party PTI-P, he added.

Aimal Wali says some politicians change ideologies to become part of govt

He said that Mr Khattak was responsible for existing economic woes at provincial and federal levels. “He has once again making tall claims of bringing reforms in the government,” he added.

The participants of the public meeting chanted slogans in favour of ANP leaders. They were also holding banners and placards and waving flags of the party. Besides other leaders of the party, ANP provincial vice president Saqibullah Khan Chamkani and candidate for PK-75 Arbab Usman Khan also spoke on the occasion.

Aimal Wali said that once again some politicians were deceiving people in the name of Islam for becoming part of the government. “The time has changed now and people cannot be deceived in the name of Islam anymore,” he added.

“We want a Pakistan in which Pakhtuns get their rights. Why Pakhtunkhwa is deprived of its rights despite producing valuable minerals. KP has been producing 6,000 megawatts electricity, which is the cheapest and environment-friendly, however, even half of the electricity is not being given to the province by the federal government,” he said.

Aimal Wali said that if Punjab had the first right on its wheat, then Pakhtunkhwa had the first right on electricity. Pakhtuns had the right to cut off electricity to Punjab if they were not given their rights, he added.

He said that leaders and workers of ANP rendered matchless sacrifices for the nation during their more than 100 years of struggle. He said that after the creation of Pakistan, freedom fighter Bacha Khan made every effort for the prosperity of the country. “Whenever we raise voice for the rights of Pakhtuns, we are branded as foreign agents,” he added.

He said that ANP awarded constitutional rights to small provinces with the help of its 11 members of National Assembly. “If people want to improve their condition, they have no choice but to support ANP,” he added.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2023