SWAT :Awami National Party (ANP) President Aimal Wali Khan has rejected a federal committee formed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to address issues in merged tribal districts, calling it “unrepresentative” of Pashtun interests. Speaking at a condolence reference in Swat, Khan criticized the committee’s composition, noting its chairman was “unacceptable even to ANP’s Shangla district president” and members were “brought from Punjab.” He questioned: “What can Punjab-based members know about Pakhtun traditions?” .
Khan warned against rolling back the 25th Constitutional Amendment – which merged tribal areas into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in 2018 – stating it liberated tribes from the oppressive Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR). “If the government backtracks on this law, we Pashtuns will not accept these lines,” he declared. He also vowed to protect the 18th Amendment, which guarantees provincial autonomy, calling it “a right earned by Asfandyar Wali Khan” .
The ANP leader condemned the state’s “criminal silence” after floods killed 18 people in Swat last week. He lamented that helicopter aid arrived “two days late for victims but promptly for a VIP,” highlighting neglect in disaster response. Khan linked the tragedy to broader resource injustice: “We were given rivers while the state took mountains and plains.” He pledged to “fight for KP’s resources like inheriting a father’s legacy” .
