PESHAWAR
Awami National Party (ANP) on Thursday rejected the Gandhara Culture Authority Act, 2023, vowing the party would not accept any attack on the provincial autonomy.
ANP provincial spokesperson Samar Haroon Bilour in a statement said Gandhara civilization has been the identity and pride of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and its people for centuries.
“It is not acceptable to deprive the province of its rights in the name of a regulation,” she added and said that ANP rejecting the central government’s Gandhara Culture Authority Act 2023.
The spokesperson of the party said that the people of Pakhtunkhwa have already made a lot of sacrifices in the war against terrorism.
For a long time, the province has been deprived of other rights including the net profit of electricity and gas. Further exploitation of the people of the province should be stopped in the name of joining the national stream, she added.
Samar Haroon asked the federal government to withdraw the recently enacted act known as Gandhara Culture Authority Act 2023’and resolve the outstanding issues of the province instead.
She further said that the task of making policies should be entrusted to those who understand provincial autonomy.
It is not wise to impose policies by undermining the culture and identity of a nation. People of every school of thought should raise their voices against the problems of small provinces and the violation of their rights.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) led federal government has approved a bill seeking the establishment of the promotion and protection of Gandhara Culture Authority Act 2023 to preserve and promote Buddhist sites and tourism.
