Timergara (Rahmat Ullah Swati): Awami National Party (ANP) Provincial President Mian Iftikhar Hussain declared Punjab’s flour ban on KP unconstitutional. He argued that if Punjab calls flour transport to KP smuggling, then electricity and water sent from KP to Punjab should also be treated as smuggling and banned.
While addressing the ANP Lower Dir district cabinet elections in Timergara, Mian Iftikhar said, “Punjab is the elder brother, but it should also recognize us as brothers.” He noted that terrorism has gripped Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, leaving no district safe.
According to him, the people of KP and Balochistan, especially Pashtuns, remain the main victims of terrorism. He added that everyone knows where terrorists come from and who trains them. Punjab and Sindh, however, continue to enjoy peace.
Referring to Bajaur, Mian Iftikhar cited the daylight martyrdom of Maulana Khan Zeb. He criticized the police for failing to arrest the killers despite CCTV cameras and security posts in the area. He also highlighted the killings in Tirah, where terrorists martyred dozens of family members, but authorities wrongly labeled them as militants. “If they were terrorists, then why did the government announce compensation for them?” he asked.
The ANP leader blamed flawed government policies for spreading terrorism across the Pashtun belt, including Lower Dir, Maidan, Bajaur, and the southern districts. He also accused America of dictating Pakistan’s internal and external policies. He warned that demands like the return of Bagram Air Base and the U.S.-China rivalry could create more instability.
Speaking on Pakistan’s agreement with Saudi Arabia, Mian Iftikhar said such agreements are acceptable, but sacrificing Pakistani youth for Saudi defense is unjust. He reminded the audience that General Zia-ul-Haq once sacrificed Jordanians for Israel’s interests.
Concluding his speech, Mian Iftikhar emphasized that Pashtuns have faced a so-called war on terror for more than 45 years. He urged the rulers to change their policies without delay. Otherwise, he warned, the consequences for both the nation and the country will be dangerous. He repeated that Punjab’s flour ban on KP reflects the same unjust mindset that must be challenged.
