PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party has expressed reservations over alleged opening of offices and courts by Taliban militants in different towns of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The party central secretary information Zahid Khan in a statement here on Friday said various Taliban groups had set up their offices and courts in Tank, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan.

He said opening of offices and activities of Taliban in urban areas of the province was a big question mark on the performance of the federal interior ministry as well as the provincial government.

He alleged that PTI and JI, the coalition partners in the province, were facilitating and patronising the Taliban. He said ANP had already expressed its apprehensions about the role of the two parties.

He said Imran Khan, Sirajul Haq and Pervez Khattak were holding public meetings and rallies without fear because they were ‘facilitating and patronising’ militants. Zahid Khan said officials had admitted that Taliban had kidnapped president of ANP South Waziristan Agency chapter. He demanded that national security agencies should take action against militants in southern parts of the province. He said because the National Action Plan was not implemented in letter and spirit it emboldened militant groups to resume their activities. The ANP leader said operation Raadul Fassad should reach its logical conclusion.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2017