- Sh Waqas Akram says drone strike on MPA Anwar Zeb’s residence in Bajaur deplorable
- Cautions ‘fascist regime’s disregard for KP CM sets dangerous precedent
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) condemned in the harshest terms the cowardly drone attack on the residence of its senior leader and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Member, Anwar Zeb Khan, in Raghagan, Bajaur, warning that the same tactics once used against the ANP to weaken and eliminate it from KP are now being deliberately replicated against PTI to undermine its vote bank and attempt to weaken its unassailable popularity in the province.
In a strongly worded statement on Friday, PTI expressed grave alarm over the alarming rise in drone strikes across KP, particularly in the tribal districts, noting that 15 such attacks were reported in just one month, continuing to claim innocent lives.
PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram recalled that the unlawfully incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan had repeatedly expressed concern over the ongoing operations and unabated drone strikes, urging the-then-KP-CM Ali Amin Gandapur to halt them, warning that the imposed regime was deliberately using the same tactics against PTI—once employed to politically marginalize ANP in KP—to weaken and eliminate his party.
He stated that PTI condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, recognizing it as a major bane for the economy. However, he added that operations conducted without public ownership and without considering the sensitivities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have not proven to be result-oriented. Therefore, PTI has always emphasized the importance of involving local people and the provincial government in planning and executing any counter-terrorism strategy so that the country can be effectively rid of this menace once and for all.
Waqas lambasted the myopic rulers for squandering the hard-won peace and allowing terrorism to resurge due to their flawed counter-terrorism strategy, adding that under the PTI government, exemplary peace and stability had been restored across the country.
He said that the ANP lost its ground in the province and saw its popularity plummet due to its failure to control the imposed military operations and drone strikes, forcing even its chief to strike a deal to secure a Senate seat from Balochistan.
Waqas stated that former Prime Minister Imran Khan has always vehemently opposed the policy of drone warfare—and today, once again, this destructive tactic is being used to target our elected representatives.
PTI CIS declared that this brazen act of terrorism is a desperate attempt to intimidate the party and silence its leadership. However, Waqas issued a clear and unwavering message that such cowardly attacks have never shaken our resolve—and they will not intimidate us now or ever.
He stated that this attack was not merely an assault on an elected representative but a strike against a courageous man who has consistently stood on the frontline against terrorism and extremism. PTI CIS noted that Anwar Zeb Khan has, throughout his political life, refused to bow to fear, violence, or intimidation—and this cowardly attack only strengthens his resolve and the party’s commitment to stand firm against such threats.
Waqas recalled that Anwar Zeb Khan was unlawfully detained for 26 days following his arrest on October 4 last year during the Islamabad March. During his transfer to court via the Islamabad–Rawalpindi route, the police van carrying him was also attacked, he said, adding that he is the same courageous leader who has consistently organized and supported every peace jirga in his region and has worked tirelessly to ensure the safety, stability, and wellbeing of his people.
PTI CIS emphasized that KP government would take all necessary measures to ensure foolproof security for MPA Anwar Zeb Khan and protect all public representatives performing their duties under challenging and dangerous circumstances. Waqas vowed that such cowardly attacks have never intimidated the party—and these saboteurs of peace will never succeed in their nefarious designs, no matter what.
He came down hard on the illegitimate regime for its callous approach and fascist tactics in denying access to the PTI founder despite alarming reports circulating in national and international media.
Waqas warned that the unrepresentative junta was setting a dangerous precedent by disregarding Chief Minister KP Sohail Afridi, who was forced to spend the entire night outside Adiala Jail despite clear court orders allowing him to meet his leader—an act that, he said, not only humiliated the people of the entire province but also carried grave and far-reaching implications for the country’s future.
PTI CIS lamented that the courts’ own orders were being openly and brazenly trampled by the fraudulently imposed regime, which continued to place itself above the law with complete impunity.
However, he expressed optimism that the days of this illegitimate setup were numbered and that Imran Khan would soon be released, bringing an end to this reign of fear and paving the way for true independence, democracy, and the restoration of the rule of law.
