DLP Report
PESHAWAR: Provincial President of the Awami National Party (ANP) Mian Iftikhar Hussain has strongly condemned the ongoing wave of violence across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, stating that the entire region,including Khyber, Tirah, Swat, Dir, Bajaur, and Shangla,was drenched in blood and grief.
Speaking to the family of the martyred Mir Azam Shah, Mian Iftikhar expressed sorrow over the killings in Tirah where, he said, innocent women and children had also fallen victim to violence.
He described the martyrdom of Mir Azam and the brutal attack on Maulana Khanzeb as part of a 45-year-long cycle of bloodshed, which has now reached its peak.
“Every day our children, women, and elders pay the price. How long will this continue?” he asked. “What flawed policy or failed strategy has turned our land into a battlefield?”
He criticized both internal and external policies for their failure to bring peace, and said the unresolved issues between Pakistan and Afghanistan have only worsened the situation.
“This is not just terrorism, it is a systematic seizure of our resources and land,” he warned.
Mian Iftikhar reiterated that the ANP stands for peace, trade, education, employment, and prosperity. “When peace is denied due to state or government policies, it becomes our right to question those policies,” he stated.
“Why is peace possible abroad through dialogues and agreements, but not in our own homeland?”
He also expressed concern over the global geopolitical situation, mentioning tensions involving the US, China, Russia, and Afghanistan as potential harbingers of further instability in the region.
Calling for justice, he demanded an immediate judicial inquiry into the attack on Maulana Khanzeb and that the killers of Mir Azam Shah be brought to justice through a transparent and impartial process.
He called for relief, compensation, and long-term protection for affected families, and stressed the need for an international standard investigation into the entire tragedy.
“Peace is not just the demand of the ANP, it is the right of every conscious citizen in this region,” he said. “We must unite beyond political and ideological differences to stand against this cruelty.”
Mian Iftikhar vowed to continue the peaceful, democratic struggle for justice, identity, and human rights. “Our fight is against violence, and our mission is peace. We will go to any legal extent to ensure our people are safe, employed, and educated,” he added.
