ANP seeks legal action over religious 'hate campaign'

PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party (ANP) has asked the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), the inspector general of police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the provincial home secretary to take legal action against a person it says is running a social media campaign against the party’s leadership and workers on religious grounds.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday, ANP Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president Mian Iftikhar Hussain submitted a written complaint in which he denounced what he described as a provocative hate campaign aimed at portraying party leaders and activists as members of the Ahmadi community.

The complaint said the individual had been using social media platforms and several WhatsApp groups to circulate what the party called baseless and misleading allegations against its leadership and workers. It alleged that the campaign was meant to exploit religious sentiment, spread hostility against the ANP and secure political advantage.

Complaint cites security risks

Mr Hussain said the ANP had consistently upheld constitutional supremacy, democracy, non-violence and opposition to extremism. He said targeting a political party or its members on religious grounds put their lives, property and dignity at risk, particularly in the current security situation.

He said falsely casting doubt on the religious identity of party members was a deeply objectionable act that could inflame tensions, sharpen divisions and disturb public order. He added that such activity could create mistrust and hostility among different sections of society.

The ANP leader said the party had lost more than 1,000 workers and leaders in its struggle against terrorism and that its leadership still faced security threats. He added that the recent allegations had further increased risks for party leaders and workers and could incite violent acts.

Call for investigation

Mr Hussain urged the NCCIA, the provincial police chief and the home secretary to carry out an immediate and transparent inquiry into the matter. He also called for strict legal steps against those responsible for spreading hate material, promoting false narratives and endangering public peace.

The complaint said there was a need to protect citizens’ lives, dignity, religious sentiments and public order, and to prevent any untoward incident arising from the campaign.