NOWSHERA: Awami National Party general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain has demanded of the Election Commission of Pakistan to take notice of the alleged irregularities in the NA-4 by-polls and said his party was contesting the election in the Peshawar constituency against the federal and provincial governments.

Addressing party workers at the hujra of Haji Shirzada in Risalpur here on Monday, the ANP leader claimed that both the ruling PML-N and PTI wereopenly violating the election law in the NA-4 constituency by utilising the respective governments` machinery in favour of their candidates.

He said the ECP should take notice of the irregularities in the by-election.

Mr Hussain however claimed his party`s candidate, Khushdil Khan advocate, would win election with a big margin as workers had campaigned for him forcefully.

He said the ANP would ensure by all means the rule of law during the by-election.

The ANP leader said some `conspirators` wanted bloodshed in Pakistan and Afghanistan to continue.

He said Islamabad and Kabul should remove bilateral mistrust for better relations.

Mr Hussain said the current wave of terrorist activities in Afghanistan was a bad sign forthe region and that Pakistan could also face delicate security situation.

He feared that the US policy would create disturbance in the region.

The ANP leader said there was no need for snap polls in the country and that the people won`t forgive politicians if the government was `derailed`.

He said the country`s overall political situation was worsening.

Mr Hussain demanded the government initiate talks with all terrorist and Taliban groups to restore peace in the country.

He said the government should abandon talks with the `only terrorist group it liked`.

ANP district president Malik Juma Khan, former federal minister Masud Abbas, former MPA Pervez Ahmad Khan and ANP leader Ishaq Khattak and others were also present on the occasion.Meanwhile, district police officer Wahid Mehmood Khan on Monday praised the local dispute resolution council for helping address the problems of the poor people.

He said this during a meeting of the DRC here in Nowshera cantonment.

The DPO said the DRC was doing a good job by resolving the people`s problems through a jirga-like system protected by the law.

He said the jirga`s impartial, clear and speedy decisions in the issues of the people were appreciated by the court.

Mr Wahid said the DRC provided justice to the people in very cheap and ef fective manner.

He said the DRC had resolved 712 of the 877 cases filed with it and referred the rest to the courts of law for decision.

The DPO said the people had reposed confidence in the DRC.