ANP had dissolved all organisations after May 11. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE
The campaign was supposed to commence from October 1 but was delayed after the printing press, supposed to print membership cards and books for the party, was destroyed in the Qissa Khawani Bazaar bomb blast.
After the heavy defeat in the May 11 general elections, party leader Asfandyar Wali Khan had dissolved all party organisations, including the central, provincial and district cabinets. Presently, the party's day-to-day affairs are dealt by an organising committee, which will conduct the membership drive, as well as, the intraparty elections.
Quality, not quantity
The Sindh chapter organising committee chairperson, advocate Altaf Khan, told The Express Tribune that this time, the party's leadership will keep a special check on the membership drive to avoid the errors and loopholes they had overlooked previously. "This time around, we will particularly check each and every aspirant member's ideologies and background. We believe in quality, not quantity," said Khan, adding that they had awarded 230,000 memberships in the last drive. Though the party hopes to achieve the same number this time, the leaders insist they will strictly consider the backgrounds of people before granting them membership.
"In the last drive, forged membership forms were submitted by some elements to get themselves elected as party office bearers," said Khan, adding that these people were exposed by the election results. He informed that the party's Saddar ward constituted of over 5,000 members, but in the general elections, the ANP candidate could only secure 34 votes from Saddar. "This means that that the members were fake."
Khan said that the membership drive will be complete in two months after which the party will start its internal elections. "Any Pakistani over 16 years of age can secure a membership for a fee of Rs20."
A member of the organising committee of district West, Anwar Ali, remarked that ANP stood for the ideals of non-violence and peace preached by its leaders, Bacha Khan and Abdul Wali Khan. Ali realised, though, that the number of members would be lower compared to last time as the ANP was not part of the government anymore. "This time, only the people who share our ideology will join us."
"The party has a clear stance on religious extremism and militancy, which are the core problems being faced by the country," said Ibrar Khan, a lawyer who has decided to leave his former party for the ANP.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 14th, 2013.
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