SWABI, April 26: The unabated attacks on Awami National Party (ANP) leaders and workers have created a sympathy for the party among people of Swabi district ahead of May 13 general election, which can boost its vote bank.

Political observers and other people said this here on Friday during a chat with this scribe. They were asked about the election campaign and chances of political parties’ candidates to record win in the two National Assembly and six Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly constituencies in the district.

Recently, the ANP’s former MNA Rehmanullah and his son Ameer Rehman survived an attack in which one party worker was injured. In a separate attack, Pakhtun Students Federation district president Osama Khan was also injured.

“The ANP leaders in Swat and Charsadda were attacked by suspected militants,” said Mr Ameer. The people, who were reluctant to support the ANP in coming election for its poor performance during last five years in government, have now started saying that the attacks on ANP activists was not a good omen.

“Enough is enough,” said Altaf Bacha, an educated voter from Topi city, adding that “Bashir Ahmad Bilour and some other ANP leaders and workers had been killed in terrorist attacks. “I have never voted for the ANP, but this time I will do so,” he said.

A number of people, including those from other parties, here said that when a corner meeting of Ghulam Ahmad Bilour was attacked by a suicide bomber in Peshawar on April 16 they prayed for his survival.

“I was praying for him,” said a PML-N worker. Similar views were expressed by workers of religious parties.

The voters said that it was true that the ANP leaders did not rule according to their expectations, but it did not mean that they should be targeted.

When contacted, the ANP leaders said that grave threats to their life had forced them to assign the main task of campaign to the low rank leaders and workers.

“We want to protect our party leaders and contesting candidates. Without them it would be difficult to contest election,” said Tamraiz Khan, district general secretary of the party.

Another party leader said that that the most difficult election so far for the ANP, but it would not leave the field.

The workers said that they were regularly meeting people and the local (Tappa) leaders had been supervising the election campaign.

Muzaffar Khan, union council Maneri general secretary, said that they had been getting instructions from the contesting candidates to coordinate the campaign.

“We appeal to the militants to stop their activities and targeting of the ANP leaders,” other party workers said.