Tehreek-e-Hazara rejects ANP's dialogue offer

ABBOTTABAD Tehreek-e-Hazara has rejected Awami National Partys offer to initiate dialogue on the prevailing crisis in Hazara region. The Tehreeks stalwarts say that they would accept nothing short of unconditional deliberations on the formation of Hazara province. After Tehreek-e-Hazara has won the support of all the factions of society in Hazara region including journalists, traders, transporters and regional parties, a visibly worried ANP leadership has changed its tone and a stark deviation from grim provocative ethnic statements to softly mild 'welcoming invitations for dialogue are evidently dominant for the last few days. These invitations are conditional and hence pointless. We want unconditional dialogue, nothing short of the formation of a province for the people of Hazara, said Quaid-e-Tehreek-e-Hazara Sardar Haider Zaman during a conversation with this correspondent on Friday. He said that the jam-packed public gatherings arranged in favour of the formation of Hazara province reflected the verdict of people. Categorically deploring the role of Judicial Commission formed to probe April 12 killings of protestors at the hands of Peshawar, Bannu and Mardan Police, Zaman said the Commission was nothing but a puppet entity formed to serve ANPs interests. He said that the four-member Commission had ANP appointees that were following its dictates. Instead of forming such a 'funny thing, the Judicial Commission should have consisted the lawyers and locals of Abbottabad, he suggested. Meanwhile, Tehreeks convoy led by Sardar Haider Zaman that headed towards Batgram on Friday evening to lead public gatherings there was tried to be stopped by ANP government through blockades installed at Karakorum Highway on all the roads leading to Batgram. They are trying all-out efforts to stop us by hook or by crook. The entire administrative provincial machinery is being used to block our way, Haider Zaman said. See They are so frightened by a public movement. All these 'political giants including the disgraced PML-N, the PPP and ANP are out there to crush us, he added criticising the role of the key political parties to suppress a peaceful rally, scheduled to be held in Batgram today. Haider said that people of Hazara hold deep regards and love for their Pakhtun brothers and reject the anti-Pakistani agenda of ANP. Pakhtuns are our brothers and they, like us, do not subscribe to ANPs agenda. ANP represents its vested interests only, not the Pakhtuns, he added. Sardar Sheraz Afzal, senior central leader Hazara Action Committee, said that a record number of people had attended the mega public gathering held at Garhi Habibullah on Thursday. People of the area say that they never witnessed such a huge gathering in their lifetimes. It was probably the greatest gathering in the history of Garhi Habibullah, he claimed. On a rough estimate, it is believed that over 300,000 people had attended the same gathering led by Tehreek-e-Hazara. Similar processions were reported to have taken place in Batgram and Kohsitan, besides Abbottabad, Haripur, Mansehra, Ghazi, Balakot and adjoining parts of Hazara region.

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