March, 17 2005	Thursday	06 Safar 1426

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PESHAWAR, March 16: Begum Nasim Wali Khan and Farid Toofan, two senior leaders of the Awami National Party (ANP), have criticized the action taken against them by party’s executive committee, and termed it a violation of democratic norms and party’s constitution. “The executive committee’s decision to dissolve the provincial organization amounts to a chargesheet against me, whereas Mr Farid Toofan’s expulsion from the party for 10 years is a decision on the pattern of the National Accountability Bureau,” Begum Nasim Wali said, when contacted by Dawn here on Wednesday, for her comment on the dissolution of the provincial set-up of the party.

She said she was not served with any written notice, hence, the decision amounted to her dismissal from the party office. She, however, said that the executive committee was the supreme decision making body of the ANP, hence, she respected its decision.

The Central Committee, headed by party chief Asfandyar Wali Khan, in its meeting held in Rawalpindi on Wednesday dissolved the party’s provincial cabinet headed by his step-mother Begum Nasim Wali. Besides, it expelled Mr Farid Toofan from the party for 10 years.

“Mr Asfandyar Wali Khan has imposed martia law in the ANP after I was expelled from the party without being given a right to appeal,” Mr Toofan told Dawn by telephone. Mr Toofan’s basic party membership was suspended on March 2, last by Mr Asfandyar after he failed to make a “convincing reply” to a show-cause notice served by Mr Asfandaryar. The action split the top ANP leadership and brought a bad name to ANP’s top leaders who accused each others of wrong-doings

Mr Toofan said that he was expelled from the party in an undemocratic manner by converting the ANP’s supreme decision making body – the Central Committee - into a ‘summary trial court’ by the party chief.

“Mr Asfandyar Wali expelled me from the party as General Musharraf sent Nawaz Sharif to forced exile for 10 years,” said Mr Toofan, adding that “the expulsion clearly reflects that those who acted against me were anticipating a threat from me in the forthcoming elections to elect new office-bearers of the provincial cabinet.”

He said he had not decided the future course of action. Begum Nasim Wali said the expulsion of a senior party leader, with 35 years’ long association with the ANP, was unheard of and against democratic norms and party’s constitution.