Context
The Awami National Party (ANP) has announced its support for the US-backed initiatives for peace with the Taliban and the Pak-Afghan agreement to take the negotiation process forward. ANP president Asfandyar Wali Khan told reporters on Sunday that military means were no longer a feasible way of solving political disputes. When asked about Prime Minister Gillani’s visit to Afghanistan on Saturday, accompanied by Army Chief Gen. Ashfaque Pervez Kiyani, Mr. Khan said that his party had always backed talks with “saner elements” within the Taliban for stability in the region. The ANP president also criticized US drone strikes in tribal areas and deaths of innocent people.
