SWABI, April 10: Rich tribute was paid to Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan at a conference held under the aegis of the Pakhtun Students Federation here on Tuesday.

Provincial general-secretary of ANP Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that Bacha Khan’s philosophy of non-violence was now being practised worldwide.

He claimed that it was Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan who had advocated provincial autonomy and equal rights for all communities in the country. Mr Hussain questioned the government’s continued operation in South Waziristan.

He said the government was responsible for lawlessness in the tribal belt and killing of innocent people in Bajaur and Waziristan.

He said the continued targeting of the people had already resulted in losing the people’s confidence over the government and a feeling of deprivation has been growing among them.

The ANP leader also called for an independent judiciary and some result-oriented steps to restore the people’s confidence over government institutions.

He came down heavily on the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal government and its policies and questioned as to what it had done while in power.