Mian Iftikhar Hussain calls for implementation of National Action Plan by governor, advisory council

Awami National Party (ANP) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial president Mian Iftikhar Hussain said the governor and his advisory council could do what no one else can, because they have the National Action Plan.

He demanded that the plan be implemented without delay to end terrorism and secure lasting peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and across the country.

Speaking to the media in Nowshera after attending the funeral prayers of Abdul Samad Parachа, a long-serving ANP worker, Hussain said that if the governor and his council could not take these steps, it would be wishful thinking.

He described Samad Parachа as no less than an asset to the party, saying he was an extremely honest, sincere and active worker. His death, he said, had deprived the party of a loyal worker, and his social, political and public services would always be remembered.

Hussain alleged that, in the name of peace, four districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the tribal areas had been placed under a separate administrative structure, effectively dividing the province. He said that under the same pretext, plots were being hatched to seize Pashtun mineral resources and to end the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the National Finance Commission Award and provincial autonomy. His party, he said, would not accept this and would not allow anyone to do it.

He said the governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was powerless because he was asking the prime minister for powers. Since governor’s rule was imposed in the province, he said, far more emphasis had been placed on operations against encroachments than on ending terrorism, and it would have been better if even a part of that effort had gone into the fight against terrorism. He added that the world is opposed to wars and violence, as shown by the failure of US President Trump.

In reply to a question, Hussain said one political party holds talks itself, then renounces those talks and declares them wrong, which he said was not right. The army’s duty, he said, is national defence; politicians’ work is the constitution and the supremacy of constitutional institutions; and the Election Commission’s task is to hold clear, transparent and impartial elections on time. He said this was the most essential step toward setting the country on the right course.