Politics: ANP kicks off membership drive

KARACHI: The Awami National Party (ANP) held the opening ceremony of their membership drive at the Mardan House on Sunday.

Speaking to the media at a conference after the ceremony, ANP leaders discussed target killings and security threats.

“We have lost 20 activists and sympathisers in three months,” said ANP Sindh chief Shahi Syed.

“In the past 27 years, no one has opposed the extortionists but now the traders and the businessmen have begun to protest against those who take bhatta in the name of charity.”

He announced that ANP will not grant membership to people involved in “immoral activities”.

Shahi Syed went on to invite everyone, “whether Urdu speakers, Pakhtun, Balochis, Sindhi or Punjabi”, to take part in the drive. ANP started the membership drive right after the press conference. The first card was allotted to Shahi Syed by the election committee chairman, Altaf Khan.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 18^th,  2011.