March 02, 2008	Sunday	Safar 23, 1429

HARIPUR, March 1: MPA-elect from Haripur and former provincial vice president of PML-Q Qazi Mohammad Asad is likely to announce joining Awami National Party at a meeting scheduled to be held on Sunday.

The meeting would be attended by ANP provincial president Afrasiab Khatak and chief minister designate Amir Haider Hoti, sources close to Asad confided to Dawn here on Saturday evening. ANP district president Fiaz Hussain also confirmed the report.

Mr Asad had won provincial seat for first time during election 2002 on the ticket of PML-Q, defeating former provincial minister and PML-N candidate Yousaf Ayub Khan. He retained the seat in the Feb 18 elections as an independent candidate, defeating Arshad Ayub Khan, the younger brother of Yousaf Ayub.

Mr Asad was reportedly approached by PPP and PML-N’s provincial leadership to woo his support in the province but, according to his close associates Arbab Ayub Jan of ANP managed to convince him joining the nationalist party with the support of former NWFP speaker assembly Maj (retired) Habib Ullah Tareen.

Mr Tareen sided with Qazi in the recent elections against his close relative Arshad Ayub which apparently changed his mind about joining PML-N or PPP for which he was constantly under pressure from some of his supporters.