Damage control: ANP leadership terms internal power tussle a ‘family dispute’

Says Begum Nasim has effectively separated herself from the party with her stance.

PESHAWAR: Begum Nasim Wali Khan and Azam Khan Hoti are conspiring against the party together, maintains the central leadership of the Awami National Party (ANP).

While addressing a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Sunday, Senator Haji Muhammad Adeel said party leaders and workers have “huge respect for Nasim as the widow of the late Wali Khan”. However, he added, her statements against the leadership have upset everyone.

The central leadership of the party, including Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, Tajuddin Khan, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Syed Aqil Shah, Latif Afridi and members of Pukhtun Student Federation were present on the occasion.



Earlier, Nasim held the senior leadership of the party – including Asfandyar Wali Khan – responsible for the collapse of ANP in the general elections. Nasim has claimed she will reorganise the party herself, and has rejected the ongoing membership drive and upcoming intra-party elections.

According to former provincial minister for information and culture Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Nasim separated herself from the party by refusing to accept the membership drive and asking workers not to participate. “She also announced a Grand Jirga of workers and refused to accept the organising committees of the party. Keeping all this in view, she has effectively separated from ANP,” said Hussain.

“Now Begum Nasim is saying the same thing as Azam Hoti – Asfandyar Wali Khan has no place in the party.  However, the leadership of ANP will remain with Wali Bagh; this is only a family dispute and has nothing to do with party affairs,” said Hussain.

He drew attention to the fact that Nasim had also blamed Hoti for the collapse of the party. “Azam Hoti expressed confidence in Asfandyar immediately after the May 11 elections debacle. He said the party cannot be kept functional without Asfandyar, but soon after Hoti completely changed his views,” said Hussain.

While talking about the failure of ANP in the general elections and the report of the fact-finding committee constituted for the purpose, Haji Adeel stated the whole party was responsible. “For the first time in the history of any political party in Pakistan, the entire internal structure has been dissolved, and elections, on the basis of secret ballots, will be held once the membership drive of the party was completed.”

ANP’s membership drive is in full swing across the country, and they have extended it for another two months, shared the Senator. “So far we have distributed one million membership forms throughout Pakistan,” he said. “This time, the highest demand for our membership is from the Saraiki belt of Punjab, while the demand from Sindh province has almost doubled.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 2^nd, 2013.