MARDAN: Senator Azam Khan Hoti has asked National Accountability Bureau to initiate probe against Awami National Party (ANP) leader Asfandyar Wali Khan and Afrasiab Khattak for ‘what they did during the five-year government of their party in the province.’

Addressing a press conference here Wednesday, he also offered himself for accountability, saying all leaders of ANP should be included in the probe.

Mr Hoti alleged that Asfandyar Wali Khan and Afrasiab Khattak sold the blood of Pakhtuns and took millions of dollars from the Americans to give them a free hand during their government from 2008 to 2013.

Asfandyar Wali Khan got property in United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and Switzerland through illegal and black money, he alleged. He added that he (Asfandyar) inherited only 440-kanal of land from his father.

Accuses Asfandyar of buying property in UAE, Malaysia and Switzerland with black money

“Now he owns two to three times more property than that of his inherited property,” he alleged.

Mr Hoti alleged that both the top leaders of ANP (Asfandyar and Afrasiab) broke record of corruption during the previous government of their party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They did nothing for the Pakhtun cause despite the fact that they claimed to be champions of the Pakhtun rights, he added.

Mr Hoti claimed that he was expelled from the party in October 2013 when he exposed the mega corruption scandal of Asfandyar.

He claimed that Rehbar-i-Tahrik Khan Abdul Wali Khan himself once told him that Asfandiyar could not become leader of Pakhtun nation due to his three bad habits including telling a lie, hypocrisy and cowardice. He said that people were asking about ‘easy load’ but there was no one to ask about ‘heavy load’, an indication towards the alleged corruption of ANP chief.

Mr Hoti asked the officials of National Accountability Bureau to leave small ‘crocodiles’ and go behind the ‘big ones’ and hold them responsible for their wrongdoings.

Confirming differences within his family, Mr Azam said that his son and former chief minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti was not allowing him to reside in his inherited house, which was still registered in his name.

He said that he had filed a suit in a civil court in Mardan to get his property including his house, hujra and other commercial land.

“I remained silent as well as out of politics for long time owing to my ailment,” Mr Hoti said, adding that he recovered from his illness that was why he decided to become active again in politics.

“My doors are open for all political parties of the country,” he said, adding that there was no last word in politics as political rivals could be changed anytime.

Mr Hoti said that he had decided to carry out political activities across the province to mobilise Pukhtuns for getting their rights.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2014