PESHAWAR: Awami National Party has shown concerns over delay in holding of local government elections in the country, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and urged chief justice of Pakistan to take notice of the matter.

Addressing a press conference after a meeting of the party’s policy wing at Bacha Khan Markaz here on Thursday, ANP provincial general secretary Sardar Hussain Babak said that government did not want to hold local bodies’ elections as the rulers could not face people.

He also issued a set of comprehensive policies on availability and use of Coronavirus vaccines and management of the impact of the pandemic on the national economy and education. He also discussed his party’s draft policies with party members.

Sharing his party’s policy about health and education, he also gave some suggestions. He said that ANP’s policy on Coronavirus vaccination was based on selection of vaccine keeping in mind its cost, efficacy and applicability in the country. The storage conditions of vaccine should also be ensured during its procurement as it was observed that it needed -8 to -20 degree centigrade temperature for storage, he said.

ANP leader says rulers avoiding elections as they can’t face people

Mr Babak asked government to procure the vaccine before April 2021. He said that the vaccine should be administered free of cost starting with the areas with high positivity of Covid-19. He said that priority in vaccination should be given to health workers and teachers.

He suggested local manufacturing of the vaccine to keep its cost low and ensure its availability to all and sundry. He added that a mechanism was needed to oversee the manufacturing and quality control of the vaccine according to international standards. He said that ANP opposed imposition of lockdown owing to its negative impacts on economy.

However, he said, government should ensure implementation of the measures for containing the virus.

The ANP leader said that instead of closing factories and business centres, the government should provide subsidies to small and medium enterprises. He also asked for keeping opened all the educational institutions under standard operating procedures.

Referring to the Article 25-A of Constitution, he asked for provision of free and compulsory education to all children and stressed the need for availability of internet facility in all the areas including tribal districts so that students could get online education. He asked government to provide smart telephone sets or laptops to students or announce concession in fees and increase in scholarships for the deserving students.

The session was also attended by ANP provincial finance secretary Mukhtiar Khan, central vice president Irum Fatima, central joint secretary Rabia Sattar, provincial vice president Shahi Khan Shirani, provincial vice president Shazia Aurangzeb, provincial joint secretary Dr Shaheen Zameer, Islamabad general secretary Abul Rahim Wazir, Dr Javeria Hayat Khan, Bacha Khan Health Foundation director Dr Shaukat Amirzada, Ihsan Ullah Khan, Mohammad Asif Khan, Rozina Khan, Sana Gulzar and Syeda Nazia Shah.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2021