ISLAMABAD: Awami National Party (ANP) chief Aimal Wali Khan launched a sharp critique against his political allies, directly targeting Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai and questioning the stance of the PTI-led provincial government on ongoing military operations.
Speaking at a party gathering, Khan expressed frustration over coalition dynamics. “We cannot convince Mahmood Khan Achakzai to stay away from this mess,” he stated. Accusing Achakzai of abandoning core Pashtun issues, Khan said, “Today, he neither cares about the Pashtuns of Balochistan, nor remembers the slogan of Pashtun unity from Bolan to Chitral. All his politics revolve around prisoner number 804,” a clear reference to imprisoned PTI founder Imran Khan.
Turning his fire towards the ruling PTI in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Aimal Wali Khan challenged their contradictory position. “The provincial government says that we are not with the operation, so why these chairs? If there is no option, then leave,” he demanded, pressing the coalition to take a clear stand.
The ANP leader framed the current situation within a historical context of suffering. “The Pashtun nation has been paying the price of oppression, plunder of resources and wars for fifty years. The constitution gives us the right to live,” he asserted.
He also condemned the official rhetoric on militancy, stating, “Changing the name of terrorism is a joke on both Islam and the nation.” Khan concluded with a sweeping demand for accountability, calling for all facilitators of extremism, “from Zia-ul-Haq to Imran Khan,” to be held responsible. The speech highlights the growing political tensions within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s ruling coalition and underscores the ANP’s attempt to reclaim its narrative as the primary defender of Pashtun rights.
