October 19, 2002	Saturday	Sha'aban 12, 1423

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PESHAWAR, Oct 18: The acting president of the NWFP chapter of Awami National Party Bashir Ahmed Bilour, MPA-elect from PF-3, was elected as the leader of the ANP’s parliamentary party in the provincial assembly here on Friday.

Bilour’s election came in a meeting of the ANP’s eight-member parliamentary party.

The party’s senior leader Begum Nasim Wali Khan, who has recently stepped down from the party’s provincial presidentship, and Mian Iftikhar, former MPA, also attended the meeting. The party’s MPA-elect from PF-32 (Swabi-II) Amir Rehman was elected as secretary of the parliamentary party.

Talking to newsmen following the parliamentary party meeting, Mr Bilour said that his party was looking forward to play positive role while sitting on the opposition benches and would like the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal to complete five-year term in the government.

He said that his party fully supported MMA’s manifesto thereby the religious parties’ conglomerate had announced that one million jobs would be created, tax regime would completely be done away with and that the Shariat would be introduced as a system of governance in the country.

“We are praying for their success and hope to see MMA fulfil its promises as the religious parties’ leaders made with general public in their election campaign,” said Mr Bilour while talking to newsmen.

Talking on the occasion, Nasim Wali said that she had no plans to withdraw her resignation tendered on moral grounds following the party’s defeat in the elections at the hands of MMA.

However, she added that the resignations of the party’s district level office-bearers and other leaders — who stepped down in line with her and Asfandyar’s decision — would not be accepted as it would damage the party’s organizational structure.

In reply to a question about the chief of National Awami Party Pakistan (NAPP) Ajmal Khattak’s recently established contacts with ANP, she said that her party had welcomed NAPP chief’s initiatives and was willing to cooperate with him and jointly struggle for the achievements of the rights of Pakhtoons.

She, however, said that the decision to merge NAPP into ANP or effecting an alliance between the two forces was up to Ajmal Khattak. “ The ball is in his court in this regard,” said Nasim Wali.

Mr Bilour said that after having elected as the ANP’s parliamentary party leader he would now establish contacts with leaders of other like-minded political forces to see the prospects of formulating a joint opposition.

“It is quite premature to say that there would be a joint opposition or not,” said Mr Bilour.