CHARSADDA: Awami National Party president Aimal Wali Khan has said that despite fencing of the border and ‘closing’ of the trade routes with Afghanistan from Torkham to Chaman, an uptick in terrorist acts puts a question mark on the performance of the security forces.

Speaking to the media here the other day, he said that economic stability would only come when privileges and ‘royal’ expenses of members of the assemblies were slashed.

He said that the salaries and perks of the members of the parliament, ministers, the president and the prime minister should be slashed because they were elected to serve the countrymen, and not to amass wealth.

Aimal rejected the prime minister’s claims of improving the economy, asserting that inflation was still very high in the country. He mentioned that 15 per cent of the country’s population was getting richer and becoming billionaires, while 85pc of the population was trapped in poverty. He said the middle class had vanished due to economic hardships.

He warned that any ‘wrongful’ actions taken under the guise of the 26th Constitutional Amendment would be resisted. He said that Pakhtuns were suffering from terrorism and unrest due to wrong policies of the successive governments. “The government and the establishment have failed to eliminate terrorism in the country,” he added.

Aimal said: “Using terrorism as an excuse to wage war against Afghanistan is not wise.” He asked, “Who created these Taliban and terrorists?” “Those who are suffering in the war between Afghanistan and Pakistan are the Pashtuns,” he added.

The ANP leader noted that the Pashtun nation was being destroyed and displaced in the so-called war against terrorism.

Aimal Wali also spoke about the historical context of Kurram, which shares borders with Afghanistan on three sides. “During military regime of Ayub Khan, the US asked for it; the Taliban also attempted to occupy it; and now the US is building missile launch pads in Kurram for warfare, forcibly removing people from there. Everything in Kurram seems to be happening under a well-planned strategy.”

He also criticised the appointment of ‘favoured’ judges to the higher judiciary.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2025