‘Ignored’ ANP member from rural Peshawar resigns

Central finance secretary Hashim Babar says his constituency consistently neglected in distribution of funds.

PESHAWAR: A prominent member of the Awami National Party resigned from basic party membership on Monday, hinting at intra-party friction as the reason for his exit.

Hashim Babar, the central finance secretary of the ANP, said that his constituency, NA-3 Peshawar, was consistently ignored by the party in development and employment opportunities. “We wanted equitable treatment in these opportunities, and particularly in case of employment. There were about 8,000 to 10,000 jobs created across the province but my area was neglected,” he said.

Babar said that in 2008, three party members, including himself, contested for a provincial assembly seat from his area. They all lost. “It was my aim that the party pays attention to this area, which did not take place.”

He said that he had informed party chief Asfandyar Wali Khan in writing of his wish to resign from the party and its basic membership.

‘Rural Peshawar left out’

Babar, whose daughter was denied a party ticket for the March Senate elections, said that he had the same reservations about the Senate polls as well: complete neglect of rural Peshawar.

“Rural Peshawar has a greater population than the urban area. But it has no representation in Senate or the provincial cabinet. There are three senators from Peshawar city district and three ministers in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa cabinet, while rural Peshawar is completely left out of the process,” he said.

Earlier, Babar has also served as an additional general secretary of the party.

Babar was already suspended?

ANP provincial spokesperson Malik Ghalum Mustafa and central spokesperson Zahid Khan also said they were not aware of Babar’s resignation, the party’s provincial general secretary Arbab Tahir said the party was yet to receive Babar’s resignation and the final decision would be made by Khan.

However, he also said that Babar’s basic membership was already in suspension for making a speech at a gathering in his village shortly after the Senate poll.