PESHAWAR - Senior ANP leader and Minister for Railways Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour said on Saturday that his party stood by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani to thwart conspiracies against the democratically elected government.
He said "We are not the people who leave their friends in the lurch neither our forefathers have taught us this lesson".
He was addressing a meeting of office-bearers of ANP wards falling in PK-2 constituency at Yakka Toot area in the city in connection with the death anniversaries of Baacha Khan and Khan Abdul Wali Khan on January 26. Bilour said, "We are sailing in the same boat and if it sinks we all will sink but will never leave the friends in difficult time".
"Awami National Party (ANP) President Asfandyar Wali Khan has given a categorical assurance to the Prime Minister at a meeting of the allied parties in Islamabad the other day that we are with you come what may", he added.
He said the ANP "salutes President Asif Ali Zardari who gives a name to our province and rights over the provincial resources". He recalled the dismissal of PML-N government when close friends of Nawaz Sharif had joined other political party that formed the next government leaving their mentor in the lurch while the ANP members in protest resigned from the ministries.
"The parliament is a supreme institution as it reflects the wishes and aspirations of 180 million people of the country therefore, other state organs must respect it", he added
He said "We do not want any clash among the institutions as it will put the future of democracy in danger. We have all respect for the state institutions."
He claimed that all the politicians present in the country today were product of dictatorships except the ANP which never supported any dictator whether it was Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan, Ziaul Haq or Pervez Musharraf. The ANP had a long list of sacrifices for the cause of democracy since inception of the country. He appealed to the party workers and the people to participate in the death anniversary function at Tehmas Khan Stadium in large number. Central leaders of ANP including Asfandyar Wali Khan will address the rally.
The meeting was also addressed Secretary Information ANP KP Malik Mustafa, President of ANP Peshawar City District Niaz Mohmand, General Secretary ANP City District Sartaj Khan, and President ANP PK-2 Nazir Baghi.