PESHAWAR: Awami National Party and Qaumi Watan Party have condemned the terrorist acts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and asked for decisive action to eradicate the menace of terrorism once for all.

In separate statements issued here on Wednesday, ANP central president Senator Aimal Wali Khan and QWP chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao said the attack targeting a school bus in Khuzdar, which claimed the lives of four children and left dozens injured, and terrorist assault on a security checkpost in Bannu, which claimed lives of two policemen, proved that no serious efforts were underway to restore peace in the country.

Aimal Wali stated that the incidents were a stark reminder of the state’s failure to protect its citizens, particularly children and law enforcement personnel.

He questioned whether the state had a two-faced policy towards terrorism, wondering if the state was really against terrorists or still had a silent understanding with them.

Condemn attacks in Khuzdar, Bannu

The ANP president demanded that the state should have a clear and unambiguous policy towards terrorism and bring the perpetrators and their facilitators to justice.

He said his party demanded an independent, transparent, and high-level investigation into the incidents to bring the perpetrators and their facilitators to justice.

Aimal Wali emphasised that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan deserved peace, justice, and development, not violence and bloodshed.

He said ANP would continue to raise its voice against injustice, terrorism, and ‘hypocritical’ state policies on every platform.

Meanwhile, QWP chairman Aftab Ahmad Sherpao also condemned the terror incidents in Khuzdar and Bannu, calling for urgent and effective steps to ensure peace and protect citizens.

He expressed heartfelt solidarity with the bereaved families of the Khuzdar attack victims. “The targeting of schoolchildren is an act of sheer savagery. Those responsible deserve no leniency,” he stated.

He also condemned the terrorist assault on a security checkpoint near the vegetable market in Bannu, which resulted in the martyrdom of two police personnel. Offering condolences to the families of the victims, he said the QWP stands shoulder to shoulder with the affected families in their grief.

Sherpao stressed that the presence of external elements in both attacks cannot be ruled out and called for comprehensive investigations into the Khuzdar tragedy. He urged the government to ensure the best possible medical care for the injured children and demanded strict punishment for those involved.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2025