MARDAN, April 17: While reiterating opposition to the Kalabagh dam, Awami National Party (ANP) President Asfandyar Wali Khan said that the project was not feasible at all. Addressing a meeting of party workers here on Saturday, Mr Wali again rejected the construction of Kalabagh dam and recalled that earlier three provinces of the country had rejected it.

He said that if even a single follower of Bacha Khan was alive then the controversial dam could not be constructed.

He said that the Pukhtuns were living under miserable conditions on their own land despite having an abundance of resources.

Mr Wali said that three districts of the NWFP alone paid Rs46 billion in connection with tobacco duty to the centre but Punjab controlled all its resources, including cotton, orchards and wheat, “while our resources are in the control of the centre, which was not acceptable to the Pukhtuns”.

He asked the Pukhtuns to stand united under the banner of the ANP, which was raised by the founder leader of Khudai Khidmatgar Movement Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan 85 years back.

MMA claims rejected: Deputy Speaker of the NWFP Assembly Ikramullah Shahid has rejected the claims of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal about bringing about a change in the lives of the common man in the province and said it had wasted time by engaged in confrontation with the centre.

Talking to Dawn here on Saturday, he said that instead of serving people and launching development projects, it remained engaged in unnecessary opposition to the centre.

The deputy speaker said imposing section 144 and banning processions to receive PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari in Punjab was unconstitutional and illegal.