ANP factions agree on terms to unite

SHABQADAR: Both factions of the Awami National Party on Tuesday agreed the terms to unite after Asfandyar Wali Khan met his stepmother Begum Naseem Wali at the family’s Wali Bagh home in Charsadda.

According to a press release, both the leaders issued a statement, saying that their groups had decided to work under the ANP banner to promote Bacha Khan’s philosophy of Pakhtun unity.

Separately, the party’s Bacha Khan Markaz also issued a picture of Begum Naseem Wali Khan, head of the ANP-Wali, with her stepson Asfandyar Wali Khan. The picture also included former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti and other family members.



The two sides were scheduled to meet on Friday, but could not because of a death in the Wali family.

The meeting between the two leaders, which was also attended by other family members, was held in a cordial atmosphere. The two sides will formally announce their merger after Eid.

Meanwhile, ANP workers from both the groups welcomed the move and called it the unification of the Pakhtun house.



The two factions have been divided for more than a decade due to political differences between their heads.

The split occurred when a group of ANP members removed Begum Wali from the party’s provincial presidency after their defeat in the 2002 general election.

Later, in 2013, Begum Wali also came forward against Asfandyar Wali, her stepson, when the party suffered defeat in the 2013 general election.