Transitions: ANP Swabi chief laid to rest

Funeral prayers of long-time Wali Khan loyalist attended by prominent leaders

SWABI: Former MNA and Awami National Party Swabi President Haji Rahmanullah Khan was laid to rest in his ancestral graveyard in Karnal Sher Killi village on Friday afternoon. The octogenarian passed away following a prolonged illness on Thursday.

Funeral prayers of the long-time Abdul Wali Khan loyalist were attended by prominent ANP leaders Amir Haider Hoti, Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, Sardar Hussain Babak and others. Qaumi Watan Party MPA Abdul Karim Khan was also present on the occasion.

Khan emerged on Swabi’s political scene back in the early 70s by joining the ranks of the now-defunct National Awami Party.

He maintained an affiliation with the Wali Khan family and the Hoti clan during the most testing of times. He went into hiding for a brief period after the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto administration issued his arrest warrant under the infamous Defence of Pakistan Rules, 1971.

The late leader became municipal committee chairman in his village, then called Nawan Killi, in 1983 and also contested the 1985 non-party general polls. He was elected MNA for the first time in 1990, lost the seat in 1993 and won it back in 1997. Khan contested the 2013 polls as well but was defeated.

Almost 25 years ago, he was given the charge of ANP’s Swabi chapter and he remained at the helm of its affairs till he breathed his last. Khan is survived by two sons, former MPA Amir Rahman Khan and Shakirullah Khan, a daughter and a widow. He was known for his mature sense of politics and magnanimity and was respected even by his opponents. He was one of the few ANP workers who stood through thick and thin with its central leadership.

ANP Swabi chapter announced three days of mourning and suspended all political activities.

Party chief Asfandyar Wali Khan expressed sorrow over the demise and said that the party has lost a long-time loyalist.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2015.