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Asfandyar Wali Khan, President Awami National Party (ANP) has expressed his
grief over the tragic loss of human lives in an attack by the Pakistani security
forces on a Madrassa at Khar, Bajaur Agency. The ANP President has termed the
incident yet another failure of the “anti-terror” policies of the government of
Pakistan and has shown deep concern at the growing violence in the tribal areas.
It was ironical, he said, that the government had to resort to indiscriminate
bombing instead of arresting the real culprits, who were living under the nose
of the Bajaur Agency’s administration. This policy of the Gen. Musharraf’s
government to allow terrorist’s stay in the tribal areas with sporadic resort to
indiscriminate bombing, surprisingly on occasions when a high profile Western
dignitary is on a trip to Pakistan, is causing resentment and is radicalizing
the local population.
A reasonable approach to isolate the extremists and discourage the terrorists
a safe haven in the tribal areas is to open the Federally Administered Tribal
Areas (FATA) to democratic, progressive and moderate political forces; make the
administration of FATA transparent and accountable through a process of
democratic reforms; and take immediate measures for the social and economic
development of the tribal areas. ANP, he said, has been consistently demanding
such reforms in FATA but Gen. Musharraf’s government has been constantly
delaying this process for obvious reasons i.e. to keep the area in total
darkness and cover up its hidden agenda vis-à-vis Afghanistan. ANP President
further said that Pakhtuns are being killed since the early 80s on both sides of
the Durand Line due to failed foreign policy of the Pakistani establishment
towards Afghanistan.
ANP has been consistently demanding that “foreign guests” of the
establishment should not be entertained at the cost of Pakhtuns’ blood. If the
establishment had sincerely taken measures to stop violent activities of the
extremists in the border region, resort to such tragic acts would not have
happened. ANP President demanded that political matters could only be resolved
through dialogue. Further delay in negating democratic reforms and the peace
process will have disastrous repercussions for the entire region. Issued by:
Zahid Khan Central Information Secretary Awami National Party.
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