Web Desk
The Awami National Party (ANP) has called for the immediate release of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) workers from jails and demanded that they be given the opportunity to speak to the media regarding the May 9-10 riots.
ANP’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president, Aimal Wali Khan, criticized the unequal treatment of PTI leaders and workers, stating that while some leaders who announced their exit from the party were pardoned, the workers were still languishing in jail. He deemed this discrimination unacceptable.
Aimal Wali Khan further emphasized that former Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser should face the same cases as the PTI workers who were arrested during the violent protests on May 9-10.
He alleged that PTI leaders were involved in corruption but were not subjected to serious action. He questioned when investigations into corruption allegations related to projects such as the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Billion Tree Tsunami, Malam Jabba Scandal, and Health Card would be initiated.
He urged accountability for those responsible for corruption in awarding contracts to fake testing agencies, the Medical Teaching Institutions (MTI) Act, the accountability commission, the Swat Expressway, and other development projects in tribal districts.
Highlighting the impact of terrorism on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the ANP leader expressed disappointment with the PTI’s handling of the situation. He claimed that during the PTI’s nine-year rule in the province, Rs417 billion was received from the federal government for the counter-terrorism department, but there was a lack of transparency regarding how and where the funds were utilized.
He accused the PTI of reorganizing terrorists instead of effectively combating them, even providing them financial support from the state treasury. He criticized the PTI for failing to construct the CTD headquarters, which he considered indicative of their lack of seriousness.
Aimal Wali Khan also highlighted the deteriorating law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and expressed concern over the increasing external debts, which had exceeded Rs887 billion.
He argued that those who embezzled taxpayers’ money should not be granted any concessions and called for the accountability of PTI leaders Pervez Khattak, Mehmood Khan, and their associates regarding corruption allegations.
The ANP’s demand for the release of PTI workers and its emphasis on accountability reflect its stance on justice and equality within the political landscape.
