PESHAWAR: Awami National Party on Thursday ruled out negotiations with Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, claiming it had stolen ANP’s mandate.

In a statement issued here, ANP central general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that PTI senior leader and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser had contacted the party leadership.

However, Mr Hussain said that ANP was of the view that under the prevailing circumstances negotiations with PTI as a party was not appropriate.

Mr Hussain said that PTI was being given government through rigging in elections and in such a situation the ANP had the only option to hold protest rallies. “ANP has been defeated and PTI was supported,” he said.

He said his party had already announced its plan of holding protests from Feb 20 against election rigging, alteration of results and use of money.

It may be mentioned here that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf recently formed special committees to chalk out a strategy on government formation in the centre, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after what it claimed to have emerged as the largest party in Feb 8 general elections.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2024

Opinion

Editorial

Kurram atrocity
22 Nov, 2024

Kurram atrocity

WITH the situation in KP’s Kurram tribal district already volatile for the past several months, the murderous...
Persistent grip
22 Nov, 2024

Persistent grip

PAKISTAN has now registered 50 polio cases this year. We all saw it coming and yet there was nothing we could do to...
Green transport
22 Nov, 2024

Green transport

THE government has taken a commendable step by announcing a New Energy Vehicle policy aiming to ensure that by 2030,...
Military option
Updated 21 Nov, 2024

Military option

While restoring peace is essential, addressing Balochistan’s socioeconomic deprivation is equally important.
HIV/AIDS disaster
21 Nov, 2024

HIV/AIDS disaster

A TORTUROUS sense of déjà vu is attached to the latest health fiasco at Multan’s Nishtar Hospital. The largest...
Dubious pardon
21 Nov, 2024

Dubious pardon

IT is disturbing how a crime as grave as custodial death has culminated in an out-of-court ‘settlement’. The...