SWABI, Jan 14: Awami National Party (ANP) President Asfandyar Wali Khan said on Monday that the postponement of elections would cause turmoil in the country.

Restarting his election campaign, which was rescheduled after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto on Dec 27, he warned that further postponement of elections would herald breaking of the country.

The ANP chief is contesting election from NA-12, Swabi-1 and NA-07, Charsadda. Charsadda is his home town but it is the first time that a member of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan’s family is contesting election from Swabi.

Mr Khan said that his party would resist the postponement of the elections and would not accept any excuse from the government in this connection. “Those who take the decision to postpone elections would be responsible for the consequences,” he said.

The elections, he said, were extremely important for the country, especially for the Pakhtuns, who were portrayed before the world as terrorists, extremists and fundamentalists by the establishment.

“The picture of Pakhtuns presented to the world is totally different from the real one. We are peace loving people and messengers of harmony and brotherhood. Though our region is in chaos, we are still begging for peace,” he said.

He said that voters should not support those who devised plans to strengthen the hands of the present rulers. “Let us sink the politics of money in the River Indus forever,” he remarked.

He alleged that flour crisis was created deliberately by Punjab. The ANP did not accept the ban imposed by the Punjab government on the movement of flour, which not only resulted in atta crisis but forced the people to pay high price for it, he said. He feared that the continuation of flour crisis would harm the unity among the provinces. He blamed the government for the shortage of flour in the country.