Describing Pakistan as a safe haven for terrorists, secretary general of the Awami National Party (ANP) Afrasiab Khattak demanded of the United States (US) and the international community to focus on militants having sanctuaries in that country.Addressing a function organised by the Regional Study Centre here on Thursday, Khattak said harbouring terrorists was the policy of the military regime in Pakistan.
The function was organised to review the trouble in Pakistan's tribal areas and Balochistan and its impact on peace in Afghanistan.
He said the problems would be solved after the holding of free and fair elections and formation of a true representative government of the people.
"There is no democracy in Pakistan. Both the internal and foreign policy is prepared by the military," said Khattak.
He said the government of Pakistan, after the overthrow of Taliban, had given a free hand to the militants in the tribal areas. The terrorists in those areas had trained foreigners, who were now posing threat to Pakistan's own interests.
Regarding the recent trouble in Balochistan, Afrasiab said such crisis had caused disintegration of the country in the past and the same was likely to be repeated if the problem was not resolved in an amicable manner.
Criticising Pakistan's Afghan policy, Khattak said: "Pakistan wants a puppet government in Afghanistan. But the policy is wrong."
Lashing out at the Pakistani media, Afrasiab said they were publishing reports regarding terrorist acts while news about progress and reconstruction were not paid any heed.
Director of the Regional Study Centre Abdul Ghafoor Liwal, advisor to president on cultural affairs Zalmay Hiwadmal, Minister for Borders and Tribal Affairs Abdul Karim Barahvi, Director of the Academy of Sciences and its members also attended the function.