PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party (ANP) has demanded a judicial inquiry into the killing of its central leader, Maulana Khan Zeb, in Bajaur.
The party warned that it would launch countrywide protests under the slogan of “Justice or Protest” if its demand was not met.Maulana Khan Zeb, ANP’s central secretary for Ulema and Mashaikh, was killed along with his bodyguard by unidentified armed men in Bajaur last Thursday while returning home after campaigning for the July 13 Amn Pasoon in Khaar, Bajaur.
The ANP convened a think-tank meeting at Bacha Khan Markaz in Peshawar on Tuesday to discuss and devise a strategy following Maulana Khan Zeb’s death. Speaking to media persons after the meeting, ANP president Senator Aimal Wali Khan said that neither the Taliban nor Daesh (IS) had claimed responsibility for the killing, while state institutions had also failed to identify the perpetrators.
“The assassins of Maulana Khan Zeb and the CCTV cameras disappeared from the scene, which definitely raises questions about the dubious role of state operatives,” the ANP leader said.
He demanded the formation of a judicial commission headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan to probe the killing, and proposed that a member of the victim’s family be included in the commission to ensure a transparent and impartial inquiry.
Aimal Wali Khan was flanked by senior party leaders Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, Amir Haider Khan Hoti, and others at the press conference. He said the ANP leadership and workers had been systematically targeted and killed for many years, but a preplanned conspiracy had kept the party unaware of the real forces behind the attacks.
“We demand a judicial inquiry in Pakistan. Otherwise, we may move and approach international forums for justice, truth, and reconciliation,” the ANP leader warned. He added that the party could also take to the streets if the real culprits behind Maulana Khan Zeb’s killing were not identified and brought to justice.
The ANP chief also criticized the failure of security forces and the government to protect ANP leaders, noting that security had even been withdrawn from some leaders whose lives were under threat.
Aimal Wali Khan reiterated the party’s stance on the 18th and 25th Constitutional Amendments, stating that the ANP would strongly oppose any rollback of the 18th Amendment, which had not only ensured provincial rights but also empowered provinces to control their own resources.
