Under Aimal Wali: ANP quietly weeds out veterans

Former party members claim they are unaware of reason that triggered their expulsion

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s main Pashtun nationalist party seems to be weeding out veteran leaders under the leadership of the young scion of the Wali Khan dynasty. None of them, however, knows the real reason behind their abrupt expulsion from the party.

Over the past few months, Awami National Party’s new provincial chief, Aimal Wali Khan, who happens to be the grandson of prominent Pashtun leader, Abdul Wali Khan, has sent several stalwarts packing.

Legal expert and veteran party member, Abdul Latif Afridi happens to be one of them. “I don’t want to comment—I don’t want to comment on their wisdom,” said Afridi about being forcefully ejected from the Awami National Party (ANP).

Afridi joins a long list of ANP veterans who have been shown the door by the 32-year-old leader. Former senator Afrasyab Khattak, former member national assembly Bushra Gohar, and Senator Sitara Ayaz are among those who have been asked to leave the party for violating party discipline.

In a nationally televised show, Aimal Wali, the party’s provincial chief, claimed the members lost their positions due to disciplinary violations. “None of them has been able to win a simple union election,” said Wali. The statement shocked many in the party.

Afridi faced termination after he failed to submit a reply to a show-cause notice issued by the young provincial president. The provincial leadership has accused Afridi of supporting his son in the polls held in the recently merged districts.

Insiders, however, believe Afridi, associated with the party for decades, was reluctant to bow before the demand of a young provincial president, who has been recently ‘appointed’ to lead the provincial wing.

“What legitimacy does a 32-year-old son of the party chief have to question a veteran member of the party who happens to be his senior by fifty years,” said a party insider, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Abrupt terminations are not new to ANP. Since its inception in 1986, the party’s top leadership has sent several members packing. Abdul Wali Khan, the prominent nationalist leader, himself removed many party members, only to be allowed back in later. Some, however, revolted and formed their political party.

During the1990s, Afrasyab Khattak and Afridi revolted against the ANP leadership. The duo formed the Qaumi Ittihad Party. Similarly, late Ajmal Khattak, a close confidant of Wali Khan, was sent packing over his association with former dictator Pervez Musharraf. All, however, re-joined ANP later.

When asked, Khattak claimed he was unaware of the reasons behind his termination. “You should be asking the party leadership,” Khattak said. “We don’t know, but participation in PTM gatherings could be the reason,” he added. Like Khattak, most ousted leaders remain clueless, unsure about what triggered their removal from the party.

The party recently expelled Mohsin Dawar for his association with the Pashtoon Tahaffuz Movement. Dawar was heading the youth wing of the party.

“I was told that I had failed to hold intra-party polls. That was not the case,” said member National Assembly Mohsin Dawar.

“We delayed the polls following instructions from party chief Asfandyar Wali Khan,” he added.

Commenting on the expulsions, ANP general secretary and member provincial assembly, Sardar Hussain Babak said the party had zero tolerance for disciplinary violations.

“No one knew them, and if somebody respects them, this is just because of ANP. There is no space for those promoting their agenda,” said Babak.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 4^th, 2019.