MARDAN: The Awami National Party on Friday jointly marked the death anniversaries of Khudai Khidmatgar movement founder Abdul Ghaffar Khan and nationalist leader Abdul Wali Khan and vowed to continue advancing their ideology of non-violence.

ANP central president Aimal Wali Khan alleged rigging in the last general elections and said the manipulation of the electoral exercise was meant to snatch the national and provincial assembly seats from his party.

He claimed that more than half of the votes polled in the Feb 2024 elections were fake.

“If elections are held in a free and fair manner, ours will emerge as the single largest party in the province,” he said.

Marks death anniversaries of Bacha Khan, Wali Khan

Mr Aimal said the “stolen public mandate” led to the formation of a government of politically immature and incapable people, who “ruined” the province.

He said the provincial government didn’t open a single school but was planning to sell land of universities in the province.

The ANP leader said his party was opposed to the recent amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, and advocated for free media. He said his party had rendered matchless sacrifices for peace in the province and would continue doing so.

Mr Aimal said an armed struggle was under way to usurp the province’s resources. He alleged the smuggling of the local minerals by “powerful” people to serve their personal interest.

On the occasion, former chief minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti asked the PTI’s government in the province to stop victiming political rivals and said after coming to power, the ANP would ensure accountability of all those responsible for it.

He alleged that the province’s exchequer was empty and therefore, doctors, teachers, municipal employees and even people of all sectors were protesting against the government.

Mr Hoti said the provincial government had planned to sell out the land of educational institutions but the ANP would resist any such move.

ANP provincial president Mian Iftikhar Hussain said the party would continue following Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Abdul Wali Khan’s philosophy of non-violence and equality. He called for restoration of peace on Pakhtun land.

“We can progress only by adopting the policy of non-violence,” he said.

Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2025