PESHAWAR: Awami National Party leader Asfandyar Wali Khan on Monday declared the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek sit-ins in Islamabad unconstitutional and said his party supported supremacy of the Constitution and parliament.

“I clearly told the prime minister recently that it is not he but the Constitution and parliament, which we support,” said Asfandyar Wali Khan at a luncheon hosted for him by former adviser to the chief minister Masoom Shah here.

The event was attended by newly-elected ANP cabinet members and office-bearers, including provincial president Haider Khan Hoti, general secretary Mian Iftikhar and Senator Afrasiab Khattak.

Asfandyar was elected the ANP central president for fifth time recently.

Asfandyar says PTI, PAT sit-ins unconstitutional

The ANP provincial and central bodies were dissolved after the devastating defeat in the May 11, 2013 general elections. According to its leaders, the ANP lost elections despite ruling the province for the last five years lost first for pre-poll rigging and second for failure to openly canvass due to terrorist attacks and threats.

They insist the party candidates were not provided with a level-playing field to contest elections.

During the event, Asfandyar explained why his party had accepted election results even though the elections were rigged and why it is not supporting the recent PTI and PAT sit-ins in Islamabad.

“Our party broke away from the tradition and decided not oppose election results. Despite our reservations, we decided to respect the ‘people’s mandate’ and therefore, we didn’t press for pre-election rigging,” he said.The ANP leader said it was clear that former Pakistani Taliban chief Hakeemullah Mehsud had openly issued threats against his party before and during elections.

He said despite all odds, the ANP accepted the ‘people’s mandate’ for PTI in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Asfandyar said the PTI and PAT sit-in outside parliament in Islamabad had entered second week but the ANP leadership had expressed its support for all democratic forces, which supported the Constitution and parliament.

“If there is any move against the prime minister in accordance with the Constitution in parliament, I would be the first person to stand up against him,” he said.

The ANP leader said the PTI and PAT sit-ins were unconstitutional and hinted at ‘some unconstitutional factors’ behind them.

He, however, didn’t elaborate on them.

Asfandyar said the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments should have focused on bringing the Federally Administered Tribal Areas into the national mainstream and caring for the internally displaced persons but all PTI leadership from the province had long been participating in the Islamabad sit-in.

He said the return of IDPs to their hometowns should be the top priority of the federal and provincial governments.

“Displaced persons should be treated the way our government in the province treated the people displaced persons from Swat during its term. It appears the federal and provincial government have forgotten them. Apparently, they are not caring for them,” he said.

The ANP leader said the Fata IDPs were mistreated during the current political dispensation.

“The IDPs of Swat were in greater number but even then, our government managed them well and ensured their repatriation honourably. But now IDPs from Fata are being teargassed and baton-charged,” he said.

Asfandyar said it seemed during the recent party elections, ANP workers had kicked out those who had damaged the party’s credibility.

He said he couldn’t predict if his party would win next elections.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2014