DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Awami National Party provincial senior vice-president Ameer Haider Khan Hoti has said that no one should object to return of Nawaz Sharif to his homeland.

He said that Nawaz Sharif was a Pakistani citizen, who had been the prime minister of the country for three times. He should return home to play his role in the politics of the country and no one should object to his return to his homeland, he added.

Mr Hoti was talking to journalists at Marwat House here on Saturday after offering fateha for the departed soul of ANP candidate for tehsil mayor slot Umar Khitab Sherani.

He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was venting his anger on party organisation after facing humiliating defeat in local bodies’ elections in 19 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Hoti says former premier should play role in politics

He said that Imran Khan dissolved his party organisations after defeat in local government polls.

“The party organisations are not responsible for his defeat but in reality his bad governance, incompetency, inflation and deals with the International Monetary Fund are main causes for the defeat,” he added.

Mr Hoti said that the ruling party saw transparent elections for the first time as it was in the habit of enjoying ‘selection’. The elections showed the real position of the ruling party, he added.

To a question, he said that ANP had not made any decision so far regarding reorganisation of the party. “No one in ANP can make all the decisions alone. ANP is a democratic party and we held a meeting yesterday. We will hold another meeting tomorrow regarding the cause of defeat in the local bodies’ elections,” he added.

Mr Hoti said that ANP accepted results of the elections as all other parties. “When there is no external interference, the political parties will accept it with open heart,” he added.

Mr Hoti said that possibility of terrorism in the assassination of ANP leader in Dera Ismail Khan could not be ruled out but political motives behind it should also be considered. He added that the assassination of Umar Khitab Sherani was an attempt to get ANP out of the process of local bodies’ elections.

“We neither expect justice from the incumbent government, nor demand of it to arrest the killers. We demand of the state to provide justice to us,” he said.

The ANP leader said officials of security forces, police and health department besides political activists were targeted by terrorists in tribal districts. The incidents should be probed and the perpetrators should be brought to justice, he added.

He termed assassination of Umar Khitab Sherani a great loss for the party. He said that history of ANP was full of sacrifices.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2021