PESHAWAR, May 9: Awami National Party Senior Vice-President Ghulam Ahmad Bilour has denied any role in the killing of PPP leader Syed Qamar Abbas. He has accused some PPP leaders of politicising the issue at a time when the country is in the grip of terrorism and sectarianism.

Talking to journalists at his residence here on Wednesday, Mr Bilour pointed out that he had conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family despite being nominated in the FIR lodged by them.

“We do not deny enmity with Syed Qamar Abbas who was the main accused in the murder of Shabbir Bilour but we do not believe in revenge and bloodshed,” he remarked. His son, Shabbir Bilour, was killed in the 1997 general elections.

Mr Bilour said: “We neither politicised (the issue) nor held any press conference when my son was killed in broad daylight, but some of the PPP leaders want to take advantage of the death of their colleague.”

Flanked by his younger brother, MPA Bashir Bilour, he said that irresponsible and provocative statements made by PPP leaders might irk the ANP workers. He said that “irresponsible statements” might divert attention from the people who were involved in the murder of Qamar Abbas.

Answering a question, Mr Bilour said those who wanted to oust the Bilour family from active politics were living in a fools’ paradise as its members had made immense sacrifices. He said the ANP would emerge victorious in the forthcoming general elections.

He said that a family matter should not be linked with party affairs as party workers had sentimental attachment with their respective parties.

“We have jointly contested elections with the PPP in the past but we do not link our personal matters with party affairs,” he added.