CHITRAL: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) district president Abdul Wali Khan has resigned from the basic membership of the party after developing differences with the leadership over nomination of candidates for the recently held Senate elections.

Addressing a press conference here the other day, he said that he held QWP chief Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao in high esteem but he differed with his certain policies, which resulted in parting ways with him.

Mr Khan said that the then provincial forest minister of QWP, when the party was a coalition partner in the provincial government, brought ignominy to the party during his visit to Chitral by revealing his close ties with the local timber mafia.

Mr Khan alleged that the former minister wanted the timber mafia to grease his palms for allowing it to transport the illegally harvested timber to the market from different forests of Chitral but he was sacked by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government before materialising his designs.

He said that as district head of QWP, he informed the party leadership about the shameful act of the minister but no action was taken against him. It embarrassed QWP workers in Chitral, he added.

Mr Khan said that he always apprised QWP leaders of his reservations about the policies of the party but no heed was paid to them which led to his alienation from the party.

He said that ignoring the party stalwarts like former senators Ghufran and Shujaul Mulk in awarding tickets for the recently held Senate elections was such a wrongful decision of the leadership that he found it impossible to remain in the party anymore. The party workers were also dejected by that decision, he added.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2015

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