ANP President reiterates pledge to fight extremism
[21.Jan.2010 - 17:11]links tranquillity in Fata with peace in Afghanistan, issue of Kalabagh dam had been buried once and for all,
next time when I would meet workers, the name of the province would be Pakhtunkhwa.
PESHAWAR,20.01.2010: Just hours after a car bomb attack on Awami National Party’s lawmaker in Peshawar on Wednesday, the party chief Asfandyar Wali Khan vowed to continue the fight against extremism and expressed satisfaction over the military operation against militants in the tribal areas.
´´The ANP fully supports the military operation carried out in the Malakand division and the ongoing offensive in South Waziristan and Orakzai agencies,´´ he said while addressing party workers at a ceremony held to mark the death anniversaries of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, commonly known as Bacha Khan, and Khan Abdul Wali Khan at the Nishtar Hall.
Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti, Begum Nasim Wali Khan, Afrasiab Khatak, ANP provincial ministers, members of the assembly, senior party leaders and a large number of workers were also present.
Condemning Wednesday´s attack on Aurangzeb Khan, the ANP member of provincial assembly from Peshawar, Asfandyar said that such cowardly acts could not deter the party from its principled stance on elimination of extremism.
Lauding the sacrifices rendered by the party workers in Malakand division, he said the ANP had a long history of struggle against violence and terrorism. He stressed that the blood of the ANP martyrs would not go waste as peace would be restored to the land of the Pakhtuns and terrorists would be defeated.
´´The militants are doing no service to Islam by killing innocent people in mosques, hujras, playgrounds, shopping markets, etc,´´ Asfandyar said, challenging the militants to display courage by coming out in the open instead of resorting to such cowardly acts.
Talking about the achievements of the ANP-led provincial government, Central President of the party said that the party had resolved many long-standing issues of the province in less than two years. He said his party came into power with the promise to bring peace to the restive province and it had succeeded to a great extent, especially in Malakand division. He said the issue of Kalabagh dam had been buried once and for all, which was another promise fulfilled by the party.
The provincial government succeeded in resolving the longstanding issue of the payment of arrears of net hydel power generation profit to the province, Asfandyar contended. He said various other issues of provincial autonomy including renaming of the province would be resolved in the coming constitutional package.
The ANP chief announced to the charged gathering that the next time when he would meet them, the name of the province would be Pakhtunkhwa.
Appreciating the efforts of Haji Muhammad Adeel, the provincial government representative in the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, Asfandyar said the credit for the unanimous award should be given to all provinces as well as the federal government.
Of the detailed decision of the Supreme Court on the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), he said the ANP would give its opinion after consulting senior lawyers of the party. He said the responsibilities of every state institution had been clearly laid down in the constitution and there would be no threat of any clash between them if all the institutions worked within their limits.
The ANP chief urged all political parties to unite as the country was passing through a critical juncture of its history and it was time to jointly fight the war against extremism and militancy.
Asfandyar said peace in the neighbouring Afghanistan would pave the way for peace in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata). He said good relations were in the interest of both the countries.
Earlier, Begum Nasim Wali Khan in her short speech lauded the services of Bacha Khan and Wali Khan for the downtrodden. She prayed for peace in the province and criticised the militants.
Senator Afrasiyab Khattak, provincial president of ANP, said the gathering on Wednesday at Nishtar Hall had proved that Pakhtuns would stay united against all odds and win their rights.
- ANP -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gfx6Xp29so0&feature=player_embedded- Tauseef-ur-Rahman
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