KARACHI, June 20: Awami National Party chief, Asfandyar Wali Khan, has stated that there are no authentic reports of the involvement of US commandos in the ongoing army operation in the tribal areas of the NWFP.

He was talking to a group of newsmen folowing the lunch hosted by PPP acting secretary general Mian Raza Rabbani at a local hotel on Thursday.

Flanked by Ghulam Muhammad Bilour of the ANP, Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Aftab Shaban Mirani of the PPP, Asfandyar Wali Khan said his party stood for a financially independent election commission instead change of an individual.

Regarding his party’s support to the government, Mr Khan said: “We are supporting certain policies of the government which are in conformity to our 30 year-old stance. Our party has always pleaded that the solution to the Afghan problem lies in the Loya Jirga and that war is no solution.

He said his party was not opposed to increase in the seats for the national assembly, as was reported in a section of the press. He said his party was of the view that the seats of the senate ought to be increased in proportion so that in a joint session of the NA and senate, the total strength of any province should not surpass the total numbers of the three smaller provinces.

The ANP, therefore, had demanded increase of the senate seats in proportion to the NA seats to safeguard the rights of smaller provinces so that in a joint session there should not be a majority of any one province. He ruled out the possibility of an electoral alliance between the ARD and the ANP.