What is wrong with the ANP? —Farhat Taj

[Baygham]

What is wrong with the ANP? —Farhat Taj

The ANP fell on its knees during the signing of the Swat peace deal with the terrorists. ANP circles have anonymously claimed that suicide bombers were sent to the top leaders to force them to sign the peace deal. If they refused, they would have been killed on the spot

It has been quite a few days now since the top leaders of the Pakhtun nationalist party, the Awami National Party (ANP), have been issuing strange statements. The party chief, Asfandyar Khan, described NATO’s pursuit of terrorists into FATA as a “clear violation of international law and a blow to Pakistan’s sovereignty”. The party’s provincial president, Afrasiab Khattak, condemned the US drone attacks on terrorists in FATA and claimed that innocent tribespersons were being killed in the drone strikes. ANP’s senior provincial minister, Bashir Bilour, also condemned the US drone strikes and NATO incursions into FATA in pursuit of the terrorists who retreated into their safe havens in FATA following attacks in Afghanistan. Above all, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly condemned NATO incursions and the US drone attacks.

This is certainly not the ANP expressing itself with free will and consent. This is an ANP speaking under duress. The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is forcing the ANP leaders to issue such statements. The Americans have put intense pressure on the Pakistani generals through relentless drone attacks that have considerably damaged their strategic assets, the jihadis that the ISI has been keeping in FATA for terrorism in Afghanistan. It seems the Pakistan generals cannot face the US and NATO forces in Afghanistan on their own. They simply force unarmed Pakhtun civilians through extreme torture and violence to associate themselves with the Taliban so as to feign the front of an indigenous Pakhtun resistance to the designs of NATO and US forces in Afghanistan. This pattern of utmost coercion was implemented all over FATA whereby everyone — tribal leaders, the ulema, government servants, community elders, teachers, healthcare workers — who might have the courage to challenge the ISI’s managed chaos in FATA were target killed. In the garb of fake military operations, vast areas of FATA were extracted from the writ of the state and put under the writ of the terrorists. The same pattern was gradually extended to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The strange statements coming from the ANP leadership must be seen in this context.

This is strange because the ANP is clearly speaking with two tongues. The ANP is a signatory of the Peshawar Declaration, signed in February 2010, which categorically supports the drone strikes in FATA and holds the Pakistani military establishment responsible for terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan, especially in FATA. Moreover, due to its ethnic, tribal and political affiliations with people in FATA, the ANP knows very well that the drone strikes are precisely killing the terrorists, and the people in the drone-hit areas welcome them. Privately, the ANP leaders support the drone attacks. They hold the Pakistani generals responsible for terrorism and violence in FATA and Afghanistan. They want the terror centres in FATA, under the auspices of the ISI, to be destroyed and they do not mind if the US or NATO forces do so since the Pakistani generals do not seem to be interested in giving up their jihadi adventures from the soil of FATA.

Should the ANP be forgiven for speaking with two tongues under duress? It is not the first time the ANP has succumbed to such pressures. The ANP fell on its knees during the signing of the Swat peace deal with the terrorists. ANP circles have anonymously claimed that suicide bombers were sent to the top leaders to force them to sign the peace deal. If they refused, they would have been killed on the spot and so they had to sign the deal even if they were not prepared for it.

Moreover, under pressure from the military establishment, the ANP government has stopped supporting the anti-Taliban lashkars all over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, lashkars that the provincial government initially supported with enthusiasm. The lashkar leaders accuse the ANP of abandoning them. “They (the ANP government) have ditched us in the middle of an ocean,” said one leader of the Adezai anti-Taliban lashkar in an interview with me.

The saddest part is that the ANP compliance under duress is obliterating the precious difference between the nationalist ANP and pro-Taliban religious parties like the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI). For example, the ANP stands for provincial autonomy. So does the JI. The ANP demands more share in the electricity royalty for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. So does the JI. The only difference is that the JI supports the ISI-sponsored jihad in Afghanistan and denounces all international efforts to cleanse Afghanistan of jihadi gangs, whereas the ANP stands for the opposite. Through these recent statements against the drone attacks, the ANP appears just like the JI. This is certainly a success of the ISI’s agenda to present all Pakhtuns to the wider world as pro-Taliban, pro-jihad and religious extremists, who are against the international community’s efforts against jihad in FATA and Afghanistan. Can the anti-Taliban Pakhtun afford an ‘Islamic’ ANP even if it is under duress?

The anti-Taliban Pakhtun need an ANP that is a firm embodiment of anti-Taliban, anti-religious extremism and one that is pro-civilisation. By and large, the ANP has been so and, no doubt, the party has greatly sacrificed through the blood of its elected leaders, workers and their close relatives. The challenge at hand, however, is colossal and demands more blood from the ANP. The ANP must now stand up to the occasion, come what may.

It is expected of the ANP leaders to resist this intimidation and blackmail. Of course, this means more assassinations among the leading ANP families and even the killing of top party leaders. The top party leaders must be ready for such an eventuality. If they are not, they should step aside and leave the party leadership to those among the ANP who might be willing to firmly resist all intimidation and blackmail even at the cost of personal sacrifices. These recent statements and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly resolution show that the current ANP leadership is either too soft or compromised to lead the anti-Taliban Pakhtun.

The writer is a PhD Research Fellow with the University of Oslo and currently writing a book, Taliban and Anti-Taliban

[Baygham]

Great article from farhat, offcourse the rest of us have known about this duplicity since before they got elected. Do you guys really think no dealing was done with ISI prior to elections and that landslide win.

If you cannot stand up to pressure than leave and take asylum like that MQM terrorist in London. Or better go to the residence / hotel in Malaysia bought with ISI money made in that swat deal, but go somewhere where you are not afraid and peeing in your pants, so the truth may find it easy to come out of your mouth.

But in our personality worship world even the ANP workers and the general pashtoons are now bound by three or four people that got sold at the top. Its both a shame on them as much as it is on the common cadre.

Reminds me of that story of a king who was very unpopular so he asked his advisors to devise a plan to increase his popularity, they advised him to build a wall around the capital and make people come and go through only two gates and when people complain have the wall removed and appear as a hero. After a few months he called the elders and nobody complained, so he called his advisors again and they suggested that people come through one gate and leave through the other, thus making it more rediculous, again no body complained. So his advisors put a guard on the entrence that sodomized every one that entered, finally in the gathering of elders, a very old representatives (of the pashtoons) stood up, the king was very happy that now he can eliminate all this and appear as a hero, but in a shaky voice the old man said " your highness we have one request, if you find it in your convienience to double the number of guards on the enterence, so the sodomy can take place twice as fast, this will save us a lot of inconvienience and time". The benevolent king put four guards on the job and the populace rejoiced.

Afrasiab and Asfandyiar in their infinite wisdom have raised a shaky voice, lets hope the king can increase the number of guards on our Qaami enterence as well.

[Shehbaz Khan]

What is wrong with the ANP? —Farhat Taj

The ANP fell on its knees during the signing of the Swat peace deal with the terrorists. ANP circles have anonymously claimed that suicide bombers were sent to the top leaders to force them to sign the peace deal. If they refused, they would have been killed on the spot.

The Awami National Party wanted to solve the Swat matter peacefully so they went for talks and hence the result was a peace deal between the TTP and the Govt. But later the TTP guys broke the peace deal and an operation was conducted. According to me there was nothing wrong in doing a peace deal, if that would have worked it would have been wonderful. No operation, No killing of Civilians no disturbance of common man and peace. But that didn't work.
Come on suicide-r went to the Minister's table with a jacket containing a bomb to blow him?

It has been quite a few days now since the top leaders of the Pakhtun nationalist party, the Awami National Party (ANP), have been issuing strange statements. The party chief, Asfandyar Khan, described NATO’s pursuit of terrorists into FATA as a “clear violation of international law and a blow to Pakistan’s sovereignty”. The party’s provincial president, Afrasiab Khattak, condemned the US drone attacks on terrorists in FATA and claimed that innocent tribespersons were being killed in the drone strikes. ANP’s senior provincial minister, Bashir Bilour, also condemned the US drone strikes and NATO incursions into FATA in pursuit of the terrorists who retreated into their safe havens in FATA following attacks in Afghanistan. Above all, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly condemned NATO incursions and the US drone attacks.

Awami National Party is a political party registered in Pakistan and its soul purpose is to serve the interest of Pakistan. To serve the Pakistanis and particularly Pakhtuns. So I don't see any thing wrong when Asfandyar Wali Khan saying that they violated the International law? Didn't they?
And you think that those areas I mean FATA etc is a safe heaven for terrorists? Pheww when the govt conduct an operation people say that they are killing normal Pakhtuns and when a drone hits a house only those who are culprits are killed is this what you are trying to say? Drones do kill common Paktuns of the area. So whats wrong in condemning the drone attacks? I don't see anything wrong with it .. KP Assembly belongs to Pakistan and they will condemn each and every attack that could be a blow to our sovereignty though they must stop it but they can't

This is certainly not the ANP expressing itself with free will and consent. This is an ANP speaking under duress.

Whats wrong in this that you thing they are speaking under pressure? If their country's sovereignty is under attack and they are condemning it than whats wrong with this?

The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is forcing the ANP leaders to issue such statements.

If ISI is putting pressure on them to play their national role than there is nothing wrong with it I guess

The Americans have put intense pressure on the Pakistani generals through relentless drone attacks that have considerably damaged their strategic assets, the jihadis that the ISI has been keeping in FATA for terrorism in Afghanistan.

All the terrorism in Afghanistan is done by a bunch of few militant living in FATA? Oh and what will you call terrorism in Afghanistan? The Talibans killing the NATO's or the NATO's killing the Talibans? In both consequences you cannot say that 100% of the terrorism in Afghanistan is sponsored by ISI though it may be sharing some for it's interest.

It seems the Pakistan generals cannot face the US and NATO forces in Afghanistan on their own.

Face them on their own? Like you want Pak Army to stand up against NATO is Afghanistan? :O

They simply force unarmed Pakhtun civilians through extreme torture and violence to associate themselves with the Taliban so as to feign the front of an indigenous Pakhtun resistance to the designs of NATO and US forces in Afghanistan.

Force the unarmed Pakhtuns? Come on!! You mean that the Common Pakhtun of Khyber, Waziristan and Kurram is forced by Pakistan Army to join Talibans? Don't tell me you believe in this ****?

This pattern of utmost coercion was implemented all over FATA whereby everyone — tribal leaders, the ulema, government servants, community elders, teachers, healthcare workers — who might have the courage to challenge the ISI’s managed chaos in FATA were target killed.

Were target killed by whom? The schools are under attack by whom? The teachers are under attack by whom? By a bunch of those stupid militants. Who killed Dr. Farooq in Mardan? ya bya dagha si noor khalaq cha aghwa kral? ISI ka talibano? The latest case agha da pekhawar doctor cha aghwa kralo?

In the garb of fake military operations, vast areas of FATA were extracted from the writ of the state and put under the writ of the terrorists. The same pattern was gradually extended to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Oh so you are saying that they did all these operations like in Swat to give that land to the Militants? The area where they conduct an operation before they leave their you see a green flag of Pakistan means that the writ of the govt is established.

The strange statements coming from the ANP leadership must be seen in this context.

If ANP is speaking something to defend Pakistan and its sovereignty why is it hurting others?

The ANP is a signatory of the Peshawar Declaration, signed in February 2010, which categorically supports the drone strikes in FATA and holds the Pakistani military establishment responsible for terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan, especially in FATA.

If someone possibly can educate me about this I don't know about it

Moreover, due to its ethnic, tribal and political affiliations with people in FATA, the ANP knows very well that the drone strikes are precisely killing the terrorists, and the people in the drone-hit areas welcome them.

This is the joke of century man. Qabailo da drone pa ra ghorzawalo inam ekhoday day aao dwi wayi che aghwi pi khushala di .. I personally know a person che da cha da khanadaan 8 kasa pa drone attack ki wajalay shawi di .. and the writer says that the drones precisely kill the terrorist come on!!

Privately, the ANP leaders support the drone attacks. They hold the Pakistani generals responsible for terrorism and violence in FATA and Afghanistan. They want the terror centres in FATA, under the auspices of the ISI, to be destroyed and they do not mind if the US or NATO forces do so since the Pakistani generals do not seem to be interested in giving up their jihadi adventures from the soil of FATA.

The bold part is a complete ****. And the rest is believed by ANP. And is true to some extent the ISI is a part of all this game not the only ONE responsible for it.

Moreover, under pressure from the military establishment, the ANP government has stopped supporting the anti-Taliban lashkars all over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, lashkars that the provincial government initially supported with enthusiasm. The lashkar leaders accuse the ANP of abandoning them. “They (the ANP government) have ditched us in the middle of an ocean,” said one leader of the Adezai anti-Taliban lashkar in an interview with me.

I see such lashkars in my area totally supported by ANP.

The saddest part is that the ANP compliance under duress is obliterating the precious difference between the nationalist ANP and pro-Taliban religious parties like the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI). For example, the ANP stands for provincial autonomy. So does the JI. The ANP demands more share in the electricity royalty for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. So does the JI. The only difference is that the JI supports the ISI-sponsored jihad in Afghanistan and denounces all international efforts to cleanse Afghanistan of jihadi gangs, whereas the ANP stands for the opposite. Through these recent statements against the drone attacks, the ANP appears just like the JI. This is certainly a success of the ISI’s agenda to present all Pakhtuns to the wider world as pro-Taliban, pro-jihad and religious extremists, who are against the international community’s efforts against jihad in FATA and Afghanistan. Can the anti-Taliban Pakhtun afford an ‘Islamic’ ANP even if it is under duress?

Hehe this is something like a complete ****. ANP never said that no operation by the Pakistan Army should not be done to clean our land from Terrorists. ANP only condemned attacks by the US Army.

The anti-Taliban Pakhtun need an ANP that is a firm embodiment of anti-Taliban, anti-religious extremism and one that is pro-civilisation. By and large, the ANP has been so and, no doubt, the party has greatly sacrificed through the blood of its elected leaders, workers and their close relatives. The challenge at hand, however, is colossal and demands more blood from the ANP. The ANP must now stand up to the occasion, come what may.

ANP is still there on the ground with their heads up.. !! They are fighting the terrorism and sacrificing their lives.

It is expected of the ANP leaders to resist this intimidation and blackmail. Of course, this means more assassinations among the leading ANP families and even the killing of top party leaders. The top party leaders must be ready for such an eventuality. If they are not, they should step aside and leave the party leadership to those among the ANP who might be willing to firmly resist all intimidation and blackmail even at the cost of personal sacrifices. These recent statements and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly resolution show that the current ANP leadership is either too soft or compromised to lead the anti-Taliban Pakhtun.

ANP is fighting the militants in every knock and corner of the province and is still there to fight them. After the operation in Swat they went there to welcome the peace and life.



I just want ANP to stand against the corruption. And be with it's people when the people need them but ANP is not doing this and I feel that they are going to fail badly in the coming elections due to their absence among the common people which is felt badly by the common man