MARDAN: The Awami National Party`s provincial president Ameer Haider Khan Hoti has asked the central government to remove reservations of the religious parties regarding the 21st constitutional amendment.

He expressed these views while talking to a delegation of All Goods Transporters Association here on Saturday.

The members of the transporters community thanked the Awami National Party for supporting their demand of removing the illegally established toll plazas on the Mardan Ring Road.

Mr Hoti assured the truckers that the ANP would resist any move of the PTI-led provincial government which went against the interests of the people.

He congratulated the PTI chairman Imran Khan on his second marriage and prayed for long lasting matrimonial life.

He, however, asked the PTI chief totakeback the January18 protest call keeping in view the presentsecurity situation in the country.

The ANP provincial president also called upon the central government to take effective measures for constitution of the judicial commission as well as removal of reservations of religio-political parties about the 21st constitutional amendment.

Mr Hoti said that it was primary responsibility of the central government to create political and religious harmony as the country was passing through a critical phase of its history and couldn`t afford political instability.

He lamented that the PTI-led provincial government had failed to launch any development project in Mardan district in the last one and half year.

`Even the provincial government either reduced or seized funds for the ongoing projects in the district that were started during the ANP government,` he added.

The former chief minister said that Pakhtuns voted PTI to power for bringing about a positive change in their lives, but it had failed to do so.He, however, claimed that ANP was the only political force which could steer Pakhtuns out of the present critical situation.

TWO PATWARIS ARRESTED: The anti-corruption department has arrested two patwaris of the revenue department on charges of bribing an inquiry team probing corruption allegations against them.

Abdus Sattar Khan, circle officer, anti-corruption department, Mardan, told mediapersons on Saturday that he along with other officials visited the offices of two revenue officials, patwaris Ghulam Mohammad and Umar Said, to record their statements in an inquiry ordered against them.

However, he said that the patwaris offered Rs1,000 each to ASI Salman and ASI Ali Akbar and Rs4,000 to him as bribe to favour them in the inquiry report.

Sattar Khan said that later the patwaris were arrested and Rs150,000 was recovered from their possession. He said that a case was registered against both the officials.