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Express Tribune
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
ANP urges action on K-P, Balochistan unrest
Awami National Party (ANP) Central President Aimal Wali Khan has written a letter to President Asif Ali Zardari regarding the rapidly deteriorating law and order situation in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, describing it as the "genocide" of Pakhtuns and Baloch people. The letter expresses deep concern over the worsening security situation and rising incidents of terrorism in both provinces. It urges the President to convene a joint session of Parliament to develop a national consensus on countering terrorism. Aimal Wali stated in the letter that the people of K-P and Balochistan have endured terrorism for decades. He blamed the ongoing crisis on flawed state policies, arguing that these missteps have led to the current instability. "Terrorism and unrest continue to plague many districts of K-P, where the government's writ has almost completely vanished," he wrote. He further claimed that terrorist elements are openly operating, carrying out targeted attacks and large-scale violence with little response from the authorities. According to the letter, police, Levies personnel, and many civilians, including FC soldiers, have lost their lives in these attacks. Despite the worsening situation, the government and law enforcement agencies have failed to take effective measures to curb terrorism. "People in most districts of K-P are forced to live in fear and insecurity. The deteriorating situation has made daily life unbearable, deepening the public's sense of despair, uncertainty, and deprivation," the letter states. It warns that if the situation remains unchecked, Balochistan could soon face the same level of instability as K-P. For the past five decades, the people of K-P have borne the brunt of terrorism, receiving the bodies of their loved ones, losing their homes, lands, businesses, and jobs. Yet, their sacrifices remain unacknowledged, the letter laments.
Times of Oman
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Times of Oman
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed lawyers convention rejects 26th constitutional amendment
Islamabad: A Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)- backed lawyers' convention on Tuesday rejected the 26th constitutional amendment. The convention called for a full court of the Supreme Court instead of the newly elevated judges to hear the challenges against the amendment, Dawn reported. A declaration issued after the convention hosted by the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) said, "It is demanded that the Supreme Court fix all petitions against the 26th amendment without a delay before a full court bench of the judges existing prior to the amendment." In his remarks at the lawyers' convention, PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said, "We were informed that the 26th amendment was coming, but no one had the draft." He called the judiciary the amendment's target. He claimed that the opposition members were coerced during the voting process, calling the amendment a stain on legislation and the parliament that defaced the Constitution. Khan said, "Everyone knows how this amendment was passed, according to Dawn report. Gohar Ali Khan said that a parallel judiciary was created within the judiciary through a 'controversial' amendment. He said that PTI will continue its struggle against unconstitutional acts as the judiciary in Pakistan needed significant reforms. He said that the amendment paved the way for the executive to interfere in the judiciary. PTI chairman called for the withdrawal of such legislation and urged the Supreme Court to hear constitutional petitions against the amendment immediately. He said the petitions should be heard by judges who were there before the amendment was introduced. He expressed PTI's support for the lawyers' movement against the 26th amendment. Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai said they want a Pakistan where the Constitution remains supreme and those who secure a win in the polls should not be unfairly defeated. He claimed that the seat on which Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was sitting belonged to somebody else. He said that Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Pakhtuns must have a share in the government if Pakistan wants to progress, Dawn reported. PTI Senator Hamid Khan, who heads a major group of lawyers, said Pakistan had reached a crucial turning point in its history. He said, "This is a time for struggle--the military must return to the barracks." He called for returning the mandate of the February 8 elections to the people. Hamid Khan said "another robbery" was committed in the form of the 26th Amendment after the February 8 elections held last year. He claimed, "You have turned the administration and the judiciary into puppets." He asserted that the lawyers' movement for the Constitution's supremacy will not stop now. PTI Senator Hamid Khan condemned the new amendments to Peca, describing them as a black law designed to control journalists. Dawn reported that he requested the apex court immediately hear the petitions against the 26th Amendment. Former Supreme Court Bar Association Presidents Ali Ahmad Kurd and Abid Zuberi, and former vice president of Lahore High Court Bar Association Rabbiya Bajwa also expressed their views at the convention.
Express Tribune
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
ANP calls terrorism 'biggest problem'
NOWSHERA: Awami National Party (ANP) Provincial President Mian Iftikhar Hussain has stated that terrorism remains the biggest issue in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and both the central and provincial governments have completely failed to control it. Speaking at a public gathering in Nowshera on the anniversary of Bacha Khan and Wali Khan, Hussain emphasized that terrorism has evolved from guerrilla warfare into a conflict between two nationsPakistan and Afghanistan. He warned that this war is no longer regional but has become an international crisis. ANP District President Zahid Khan, District General Secretary Malik Atlas Khan Khattak, and ANP Central Secretary Brigadier (Retd.) Dr. Salim Khan also addressed the gathering. Hussain stressed that Pakistan and Afghanistan are sovereign nations and should refrain from interfering in each other's affairs. He cautioned that if the situation spirals out of control, the first victims will be the Pakhtuns, followed by the rest of Pakistan, and eventually, the world will also be engulfed in this conflict.
