PESHAWAR, July 1: The Awami National Party provincial chief, Begum Nasim Wali Khan, has asked the government to review its decisions regarding the political parties order, constitutional package and graduation condition for the candidates in the elections.

Speaking at the residence of Iftikharuddin Khattak, a retired bureaucrat who joined the ANP, Begum Wali said it seemed that Gen Pervez Musharraf’s advisors were doing a job which was usually done by one’s enemies.

The constitutional package was an assault on the parliamentary system enshrined in the constitution. It was equally opposed to the quantum of provincial autonomy promised in the constitution,

She said they were hopeful that Gen Musharraf would translate his seven-point agenda, which he laid down before the nation soon after resuming the power in 1999, but his all moves were against his promised plan.

Time and again, she said, Gen Musharraf came with assurances that he would delegate administrative and financial powers and grant autonomy to the federating units, “but his recent packages are aimed at introducing a presidential form of government”.

The ANP had endorsed certain policies of Gen Musharraf, but it was opposed to his new agenda against the federal parliamentary system and unbridled surgery into the constitution. The people were the best judge, who had enough wisdom to place a check on political parties during elections, she added.

Mr Khattak, the newly entrant in the ANP, said he considered that the ANP was the only political party which never betrayed its manifesto. I had to face the music on occasion for having a soft corner for the ANP, he added.

Mr Khattak served as commissioner of Peshawar, chairman of the Sarhad Development Authority and Pakistan Utility Stores in the Past. He hailed from Shido, Akora Khattak.

Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, Haji Mohammad Adeel, Bashir Bilour, Azam Hoti, Hidayatullah Chamkani, Aqil Shah, Mian Iftikhar Hussain and other ANP leaders and workers were present on the occasion.

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