PESHAWAR, July 26: The Awami National Party has condemned the killing of civilians, including children and women, in the continuing air attacks by Israel on Lebanon and termed it barbarism and terrorism.

The party’s provincial cabinet, which met here at the Bacha Khan Markaz on Wednesday, urged the international community to exert pressure on Israel to stop bombing on Lebanon. Bashir Ahmed Bilour, ANP’s provincial chief, presided over the meeting.

The meeting observed that war was not a solution to the Middle East crisis and urged all stakeholders to resolve it through peaceful negotiations and stop targetting innocent citizens, the meeting observed. The ANP leaders warned that an ensuing war in Lebanon might cause a greater harm to world peace.

The meeting expressed satisfaction over the visit of a party delegation, headed by ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan, to India and termed it a positive move towards normalisation of relations with New Delhi. The meeting stressed the need for accelerating the pace of peace process in the subcontinent in the larger interest of people of the two countries.

The ANP decided that a peace conference honouring Bacha Khan would be organised, but its date would be announced later. The ANP regretted that people of Karak had not been provided natural gas connections from wells discovered near the Gurguri village in the district.

The ANP claimed that the oil explored in Shakardara in Kohat was being taken away without striking a proper accord with the NWFP. The ANP decided that it would hold a conference on natural gas on August 17 in Karak.

The meeting criticised the MMA government for its failure in defending the province’s rights.

CRISIS CENTRE: A court on Wednesday allowed an inmate of a crisis centre to accompany her husband whom she had recently married at the centre. Gulmeena had left her home last month claiming that her brothers were threatening her life.