Awami National Party (ANP) Chief Asfandyar Wali Khan has said he cautioned then Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto that Talibanization would not remain confined to Afghanistan and his apprehensions came true.
Asfandyar Wali said it was because of political ownership of the war against terror that today Swat‚ Buner‚ Chitral‚ Dir‚ Malakand and to some extent Bajaur are safe. He said Mohmand and Orakzai are also somewhat safe and the problem is mostly confined to Khyber Agency and North and South Waziristan‚ which can be addressed if all parties present a united stand against the challenge.
He said his party was under tremendous pressure from the United States not to enter into peace agreement with militants in Swat but it ignored the pressure in view of ground realities.
The ANP leader said we are talking about free and fair elections but there is no level playing field for all political parties. He said ANP was unable to launch mass mobilization campaign due to security threats as the very first leader of the party who went out for campaign‚ Adnan Wazir was targeted by terrorists.
Asfandyar Wali Khan rejected any proposition for postponement of general elections on the pretext of security and said if Afghanistan can hold elections then why can’t Pakistan‚ which has structured political entities‚ organized army and there is no civil war in the country. He said ANP has been the focus of attacks and when the party wants elections there should be no concern for others.
To a question he said ANP carried out comprehensive development schemes for welfare of the people with focus on education. He said before 2008 there were just 6 universities in the province and they have added five more.
Similarly‚ they established 46 new colleges in addition to 46 that existed before 2008. He said in his own constituency‚ there were 3 colleges and the ANP Government set up 4 more – 2 each for boys and girls. He said 450 schools destroyed in bomb blasts have been rebuilt.
Asfandyar Wali Khan said ANP would go to elections on its performance and would not enter into alliance with any political party.
The ANP leader urged media not to publish or air news without proper investigation and verification. Giving an example‚ Asfandyar said he was seriously ill and admitted in a hospital but while interviewing ANP leader Zahid Khan‚ anchorperson Hamid Mir said your leader is comforting in Malaysia.
About drone attacks‚ he said those considering them violation of Pakistan’s air space should also condemn ground violations by foreign militants. Similarly‚ he said‚ suicide attacks should also be condemned as they cause more deaths than drone strikes.
To a question the ANP chief said unless Pakistan‚ Afghanistan and ISAF sit together and formulate a perfect exit policy‚ not only Afghanistan but the entire region would be in turmoil after 2014 when foreign troops leave the neighbouring country.
Replying to another question he said Pakistan should have no objection if India builds roads and hospitals in Afghanistan.
Asfandyar Wali said he told Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh that incidents engineered by non-state actors should not be allowed to become obstacle in the way of improvement of relations between the two countries.
