Family matters: For Haider Hoti, blood not thicker than political bond

Says his father’s allegations are mere stories devoid of any truth.

PESHAWAR: Former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) chief minister and Awami National Party (ANP) MNA Ameer Haider Khan Hoti on Tuesday denied the allegations leveled by his father Senator Azam Khan Hoti against the party’s central and provincial chiefs.

On Monday, Azam Hoti accused Asfandyar Wali and Afrasiab Khattak of striking a $35 million deal with the US to ignore bloodshed in the province.

Addressing a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club, Haider said his father had turned a personal issue into a political one, dubbing the allegations mere stories or “afsanay” devoid of truth.

The junior Hoti said this was not something new for ANP as it had been criticised without any solid cause or reason under political and military regimes in the past too. “ANP was touted as an Indian, American and Russian agent and even Kufr fatwas (edicts) were passed against us,” said Haider, adding time was the best judge in all such matters.

He said political families also face problems like ordinary ones and that there were certain differences between his father and the rest of the family for some time. “In this issue, my family is on one side, while my father is on the other.”

Haider said the matter had aggravated to such an extent that it had now become difficult for the family to live under one roof. He stressed the incident had only created a stir because it arose within the family.

He said the federal and provincial governments along with other organisations should probe these allegations to ascertain their credibility. The former chief minister also said ANP has a great role to play in the present situation and the forces that have always been conspiring against ANP may benefit from the ongoing rift.

About Azam Hoti’s allegations of Asfandyar and Khattak striking a $35 million deal with the US, Haider questioned why his father had chosen to remain silent and wait for about five years before making such a disclosure.

Haider also denied his father’s claims of Asfandyar having property in Dubai and Malaysia, saying the latter owned no properties in any of the two countries. He added whenever Asfandyar’s family visits Dubai, they stay at the flat of party senator Nabi Bangash.

Replying to a question, Haider said if his father was to choose between his family and a “new personality”, he would choose the latter.

Also speaking on the occasion, Afrasiab Khattak said he would be the last person the Saudis would ever talk to and reiterated the allegations leveled against him had no truth.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 30^th, 2013.