ISLAMABAD/CHARSADDA/MARDAN: Awami National Party central president Senator Aimal Wali Khan on Monday said he did not require any security of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, saying his personal security guards were enough to protect him.

Surrounded by his personal security guards, who were clad in a red uniform, Aimal turned up in the Parliament House but could not attend the proceedings of the Senate, as the upper house was already adjourned over lack of quorum.

Talking to mediapersons outside the Parliament House, Aimal said: “I don’t want security of the KP chief minister as Janasheen (followers) of Bacha Khan (his grandfather) can die for me.”

Media reports said security of Aimal Wali was withdrawn after he gave a statement in which he expressed concerns over recent defence and security pact between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and the presence of Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir in the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s foreign visits.

Says his personal guards enough to protect him; ANP activists flay Centre for putting life of their leader in ‘danger’

“I still believe that the Constitution does not allow him (COAS) to accompany PM on foreign visits. But the PM told me that it was his (PM’s) desire to take army chief with him,” he said when asked whether the Constitution allows an army chief to join PM on foreign official trips.

Responding to a question about the current PPP-PML-N standoff, he said the PML-N-led government could not run without PPP. He added that equal distribution of resources and among provinces was to guarantee the country’s unity. “There will be no unity if my rights are given to Punjab,” he added.

He said the current confrontation between the PPP and the PML-N surfaced on the issue of carving out of new canals in Cholistan (Punjab).

“These canals, if executed, would render the entire Sindh barren,” he said.

Meanwhile, ANP office-bearers have condemned the withdrawal of security from party’s central president Senator Aimal Wali Khan.

The condemnation came in a resolution passed during a meeting of ANP’s Charsadda chapter, attended by the participants and general secretaries from all the three tehsils.

Charsadda district president and former MPA Shakeel Bashir Khan Omarzai chaired the meeting.

The resolution said Aimal Wali was a national level leader, who had stood firm against terrorism, extremism and injustice for years. “Withdrawing security from him is not only tantamount to putting his life in danger, but is also a direct attack on democratic values and political freedom,” it said.

The meeting emphasised that Aimal Wali was raising his voice for the right to ownership and control over the minerals and natural resources of the Pakhtun nation, and his struggle was for public rights, supremacy of the Constitution, peace and development of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The meeting demanded of the federal and provincial governments that Aimal Wali’s security be immediately restored.

Meanwhile, ANP activists on Monday held an armed protest at the party’s district office on the security issue of Aimal Wali, adds our Mardan correspondent.

The protesting workers equipped with automatic weapons were led by city mayor Himayatulah Mayar.

The infuriated workers while waving Kalashnikovs in the air, chanted slogans against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Field Marshal Asim Munir and minister of state for interior Talal Chaudhry.

On the occasion, Mardan city mayor Himayatullah Mayar said the ANP central president Aimal Wali did not need any state-security. He said all the ANP activists firmly stood with their leader.

“We, ourselves will provide foolproof security to our leader. We along with our children will sacrifice for our leader as he is our red-line.”

On the other hand, ANP kept itself at a distance from the armed protest led by the city mayor.

In a statement issued after the protest, ANP district president Imran Manduri stated that the party would take action against those activists who had taken part in the armed protest.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2025