CHARSADDA: Awami National Party president for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Senator Aimal Wali Khan on Friday said all national institutions should restrict themselves to their constitutional roles.

Addressing a news conference in Wali Bagh here, the ANP leader said the security establishment should do away with its involvement in politics and should focus on their task of protecting borders.

He said the Saudi investment in Pakistan was welcome, but as the regional situation was alarming, he wondered if the Saudi investment was a “deal against Iran.”

Mr Aimal said the Chinese nationals could freely move in Punjab cities and Karachi, but it was surprising to see them come under attack after entry to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said the Chinese nationals were attacked in Malakand division, but authorities suspended the deputy inspector general of Hazara region, who was reportedly the brother-in-law of the province’s police chief.

ANP leader says he’ll raise voice for rights of KP, Balochistan in Senate

The ANP leader said the province had been destroyed “financially and administratively” during the last 10 years, and once again, the province was being handed over to the facilitators of militants.

He alleged that on one hand, 40,000 militants were “being resettled” in KP, but on the other, official security cover was withdrawn from the ANP’s leadership.

Mr Aimal said he had asked the party’s leaders to make security arrangements for them.

He, however, warned that if the lives of ANP leaders or workers were harmed, the party would lodge criminal cases against the chief minister, police chief, corps commander, and sector commander of Peshawar.

The ANP leader said the ANP could speak to political forces only and wouldn’t become part of the opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan.

He claimed that his party was offered governorship and ministries in the province after the February 2024 general elections, but it refused to accept them.

Mr Aimal said if his election as senator was “someone else’s job,” as a few people claimed, then they should know that the ANP was offered “many things,” but it rejected all those offers.

He said the province was denied its rights under the 18th Constitutional Amendment.

“I’ll raise a voice for the rights of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan in the Senate,” he said.

Mr Aimal thanked the Pakistan Peoples Party for supporting him in the recent Senate elections.

He complained that despite the court’s orders, oaths weren’t administered to women and minority members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.

The ANP leader said the KP government didn’t represent residents. He urged workers to participate in the April by-election in the Bajaur tribal district.

Mr Aimal said the party would continue fighting for people’s rights and would hold a public meeting in Buner on April 26.

ANP leaders Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, Senator Hidayatullah, Hussain Shah Khan, Sardar Hussain Babak, and Mukhtyar Khan were also present on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2024