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Tauseef-ur-Rahman
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
From Print Edition
PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party (ANP) dissident leader Begum Nasim Wali Khan may say goodbye to her years long association with the party and announce her own faction today (Wednesday).
“Yes, the Begum Nasim Is likely to announce her new faction of the party at a press conference today in which Farid Toofan , a leader of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), is also expected to join her fold,” said a party activist.
The elderly lady, who is step mother of ANP leader Asfandyar Wali Khan, may announce the organisers of her faction of the party for entire province, the sources said.
Begum Nasim, the widow of party’s Rehbar-e-Tehreek Khan Abdul Wali Khan came out of political hibernation in November last and addressed a news conference at Peshawar. She demanded Asfandyar Wali, Azam Hoti and Ameer Haider Hoti and other associates of Asfandyar Wali to keep themselves away from the party affairs and give a chance to honest and sincere people to save the centuries-old Pukhtun national movement.
However, the party, which is currently in the process of reorganisation, expressed its indifference about her political ambitions and said that by violating party discipline she herself opted to quit the party.
Critics say Begum Nasim failed to get the sympathy of majority of party workers and leaders. Except, Abdur Rahman Khan of Kafoor Dheri who is a respected ANP leader and has remained MPA thrice, Atif ur Rehman, another former MPA of the party and few leaders of Pukhtun Student Federation, no other notable of the party joined her.
Despite the fact that no influential leader of ANP sided with Begum Nasim, she managed a well-attended gathering on January 27 to observe the death anniversaries of party leaders -Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Khan Abdul Wali Khan, something which never happened in ANP.
The joining of Farid Toofan, a blunt and straight forward leader, would certainly give some strength to Begum Nasim. Sources said that Farid Toofan was tasked to visit the entire province and muster support for Begum Nasim.The inclusion of Farid Toofan in Begum Nasim’s camp would be certainly a matter of concern for ANP leadership as he (Farid) has the ability to confront his former comrades.
Farid Toofan, a former ANP leader was expelled from the party in 2005 after developing differences with the ANP central president Asfandyar Wali Khan. Begum Nasim, who at that time was provincial president of the party tried to defend her close aide and general secretary, but also lost her position and was sidelined.
Farid joined Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and also contested 2008 election on the ticket of the party from his native Karak district, however, he lost. In 2013, he contested the general election on the ticket of PML-N, and again lost.