Asfandyar claims US pressure on Swat peace deal was rejected

President Awami National Party (ANP) Asfandyar Wali Khan has claimed that his party had rejected U.S. pressure about the peace deal with the Swat Taliban.

“The ANP was under tremendous pressure from the United States not to enter into peace agreement with militants in Swat but it ignored the pressure in view of ground realities,” Khan told Radio Pakistan.

To a question, he said before Swat peace agreement, the then US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher and then Ambassador Anne Patterson pressed him not to go for peace deal at a 50-minute meeting at Frontier House in Islamabad.

Khan said he never had such a bitter meeting with any one as was the meeting with Richard Boucher.

He said he categorically told the American side that “we know our traditions and customs very well and we have to go for the peace deal”.

The ANP leader said they went ahead with peace agreement with militants in Swat but it was violated by the other side and writ of the Government was challenged. “In this backdrop, there was no other choice than to go for operation”.

Asfandyar said the operation against extremists and terrorists in Swat and Malakand succeeded as it had political ownership.

The ANP chief, however, made it clear that the army was called in Swat not by ANP but the then MMA Government in the province.

He said, they were not against people of Punjab or the province itself but against the policies.

The ANP chief said that it is wrong to blame politicians for opposing the Kalabagh dam as the first opposition to its construction came from non-parties assemblies.

Asked who was responsible for power shortages‚ Asfandyar said that if WAPDA knew back as 1986 that Kalabagh had become controversial then why it didn’t go for other options.

He said demand for power is increasing due to rapid increase in population as well as urbanization and village electrification but no power station was added for a long time. He said the PPP and its allies share the blame for the shortages but others cannot escape the burden as well.

Replying to a question ANP leader said his party would go to the masses in elections with its performance.

He said it was after 3 generation of struggle that the province got its identity and the demand of the ANP for provincial autonomy has also been met through 18th Constitutional amendment.

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Posted by Tahir Khan on Apr 10 2013. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.