16 April 2005	Saturday	06 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426

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PESHAWAR, April 15: The Awami National Party (ANP) may abstain from the forthcoming by-elections for the Senate’s vacant seat from the NWFP, according to sources.

“Our members in the provincial assembly will neither vote for the candidate nominated by the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal nor for Pir Mohammed Khan who has been fielded by the establishment,” a senior leader of the Awami National Party said, requesting anonymity, when contacted on Friday.

ANP sources said the party’s seven MPAs would have considered voting for a candidate of any liberal party, had any of the liberal forces contested the bye-election scheduled for April 19.

There are three candidates in the run for the by-elections on the seat fell vacant after the deputy chairman of the Senate Commander Khalil-ur-Rehman was appointed as the NWFP governor last month.

The MMA, with the strength of 64 MPAs in the house of 124, has fielded Qari Abdullah.

On the other hand, MPA Pir Mohammed Khan, an MMA dissident, who was expelled from the Jamaat-i-Islami a few days ago for violating the party discipline, is also contesting the by-polls. While The PPP has fielded former provincial minister Syed Qamar Abbas.

ANP leaders said there were strong indications from the PPP camp that Mr Abbas might withdraw from the race in a couple of days.

In this situation, they added, the seven-member parliamentary group of the ANP would not be left with any option as far as using their right to vote was concerned.

“We were ready to vote for the PPP candidate, but not for the MMA or Mr Pir Mohammed Khan,” said the ANP leader enjoying close proximity with ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan.

The ANP sources said their party chief Asfandyar Wali had also talked to senior PPP leader Raza Rabbani showing his

willingness that his party

MPAs would vote for the PPP candidate if they (PPP leaders) guaranteed that their own lawmakers would vote for Mr Abbas.

The PPP has 11 MPAs in the NWFP Assembly. Of them only one had voted for the party candidate, Mr Sardar Ali, during the last Senate elections.