PESHAWAR - Awami National Party Provincial President and former chief minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ameer Haider Khan Hoti said on Sunday that peace would return soon in the country as people particularly his party workers and leadership have rendered a lot of sacrifices for the purpose.
Addressing a gathering held in connection with the first death anniversary of ANP's assassinated leader Mian Mushtaq at the Bacha Khan Markaz, he said that people stood united against terrorism. Terrorists would be made accountable for every act of sabotage they committed, he added.
Paying glowing tributes to Mian Mushtaq, he said that his bravery and sacrifice will not go waste. The ANP leaders and workers couldn't be oppressed through acts of terrorism as such acts will further strengthen their resolve to take on those creating chaos and panic in the society.
The country was passing through critical phase and the time was not appropriate for protests. There is a dire need of unity to thwart attempts by terrorists, he said and appealed to PTI Chairman Imran Khan to defer his agitation scheduled for January 18.
Hoti asked the government to fulfil the PTI demand of setting up judicial commission to probe into alleged rigging allegations.
On this occasion, ANP MNA and ex-federal minister Ghulam Ahmed Bilour said that those who termed the war against terrorists as war of the US, were now saying that it was the war of Pakistan and said that ANP had long been telling the nation that insurgents wanted to weaken Pakistan.
The ANP's stand regarding the war against terrorism had proved true, he said.
In his address to the gathering, ANP's General Secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain said they had been the target of terrorists since long and said that 30 of their people had been killed after the end of their government in 2013.
"We will take all those to task who are responsible for the killing of our innocent workers," he said. The government has failed to arrest anyone responsible for these killings and warned that they could besiege chief minister and governor houses to force the government to track down the killers, he concluded.
ANP to observe Ghaffar, Wali's anniversary on 26th: Awami National Party-Wali (ANP-W) has decided to observe the death anniversary of both Pakhtun nationalist leaders Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan commonly known as Bacha Khan and Khan Abdul Wali Khan on January 26. In this connection, a main gathering will be held at Nishtar Hall in Peshawar.
This was decided at a meeting held with the party's Provincial President Farid Tofan in the chair at Wali Bagh.
Prominent among others who also attended the meeting included ANP-W President Begum Nasim Wali Khan, widow of Abdul Wali Khan, Provincial General Secretary Lawangeen Wali Khan, Provincial Senior Vice President Pir Fayaz, Provincial Secretary Information and ex-MPA Atif-ur-Rehman, Provincial Joint Secretary Riaz Marwat and ANP-W Secretary Information for FATA Gul Nawaz Khan Mohmand.
They also discussed the prevailing situation in the country in general and in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in particular and expressed concern over the law and order situation in the province.
It was decided to observe death anniversary of Bacha Khan and Wali Khan on January 26, and main gathering will be held at Nishtar Hall in Peshawar.
Talking to media persons, Begum Nasim said that Pakistan has been passing through a critical phase. Peace could not be restored in Pakistan, until there was a peace in neighbouring Afghanistan, she added.
Today, people were talking too much about the non-violent philosophy of great Pakhtun leader Bacha Khan. "We have no option other than to follow this philosophy of non-violence".
She said that ANP-W would emerge as a strong political force in future and would resolve the problems being faced by the people.