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NOWSHEHRA, May 3: The National Awami Party Pakistan (NAPP) led by Ajmal Khattak has merged itself with the Awami National Party in the larger interest of the Pukhtuns here on Saturday.
A caravan of ANP leaders led by Asfandyar Wali Khan and Begum Nasim Wali Khan arrived here at the residence of Ajmal Khattak in Akora Khattak. Hundreds of ANP workers were also present on the occasion.
Upon their arrival ANP leaders Asfandyar Wali, Begum Wali, Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, Bashir Ahmed Bilour, Mian Iftikhar Huassin, Hidayatullah Chamkani and Fareed Tofan, NAPP chief announced that he had decided to merge his party with the ANP as it was the call of the time to bring Pukhtuns under one banner.
He said he had been a follower of Bacha Khan and tried to live his life like a preacher of non-violence, peace and understanding amongst the Pukhtuns. “I will work as soldier of the ANP in future,” he added.
Speaking on the occasion, ANP former president Asfandyar Wali Khan said the disunity among the Pukhtuns was the main cause of their backwardness, poverty and deprivation at national level.
CHARSADDA: Later, speaking at a press conference jointly with ANP Rehbar Khan Abdul Wali Khan at Walibagh, Mr Khattak said that this merger was the need of the hour and it was very much necessary for the whole south and central Asian region where most of the Pakhtoons lived.
“Our politics is the politics of Bacha Khan and the politics of Bacha Khan was the politics of non-violence, the politics of brotherhood, the politics of the dignity of man, the politics of selfless service of the entire humanity and the politics of fight against any kind of dictatorship,” Mr Khattak elaborated.
He said he was not an anti-Pakistan but made it clear that unless and until Pukhtuns were made prosperous Pakistan would never progress.
He vowed that this unity among the nationalist forces was the first step in the direction of making Pakistan an independent and prosperous country in the real sense.
He said this process of unity of nationalist forces would continue and expressed the hope that other nationalist leaders would follow the suit. Mr Khattak said that the decision of merging NAPP with the ANP was not his personal decision and today both provincial presidents of NAPP from Punjab and Sindh along with office-bearers of 18 branches of the NWFP had accompanied him to Walibagh for making this important announcement.
Speaking on the occasion, ANP Rehbar Khan Abdul Wali Khan welcomed Mr Khattak and his party into the ANP fold and said that the decision of Mr Khattak and his party colleagues was appreciable because they were sincere in the unity of nationalist forces that was why they joined a party instead of making another party and getting himself elected as president.
Mr Wali Khan lamented that many Pukhtuns came here and gave lengthy speeches on the unity of Pukhtuns but ultimately they announced a party of their own.
He said that time had come that the Pukhtuns must make a decision whether to side with those who had usurped their rights or with those who were fighting for it.
He said that even if the royalty of the electricity was given to the province it would become prosperous than the whole region.
