SWABI: The Awami National Party is in disarray in Swabi district following its probe committee, set up by its district leadership, issued show-cause notices to about 70 leaders and activists and later expelled 40 of them over violation of party discipline during the recent local government elections.

Sources said that soon after the LG elections the ANP district leadership had established a three-member probe committee, headed by former MNA Pervaiz Khan and including Younas Bacha and Sajjad Khan as its members.

The task of the committee was to prepare a report about LG elections and send it to the provincial leadership.

Those expelled from the party said that according to the party constitution the district leadership did not have the authority to expel party members and such powers rested with the provincial leadership. Besides, they said that members could be expelled only through due process, giving them an opportunity to show cause or defend their position, if there was any violation of party discipline.

Affected activists say district leaders not authorised to take action against them

Former MPA Sikandar Irfan, former district nazim Jehanzeb Khan, former district general secretary Aman Khan, Rasheed Khan advocate, former information secretary and other prominent leaders are among those who have been expelled from the party.

Mr Pervaiz, provincial joint secretary of the party, told Dawn that the central and provincial leadership had delegated powers to the committee and they took the action on 22 applications received about various party leaders.

“We have taken disciplinary action against those activists who had violated the party constitution,” he said.

When contacted, party’s provincial leader Sardar Hussain Babak, however, said that the committee had only submitted the report and no one was expelled from the party.

“The powers to expel someone from the party rest with the provincial leadership,” he said.

Party insiders said that it was expected that the district leadership would focus on bringing all the annoyed activists back into the party, but instead they expelled prominent local leaders.

The internal differences might be exploited by the rival political parties and it would certainly affect ANP in future elections.

When contacted, Mr Jehanzeb said that it was a big surprise to get the show-cause notice and expulsion orders.

“I met Mr Perviaz and reminded him of the constitution of the party,” he said.

Sources said that the local leaders clashed in the district cabinet over the expulsion issue.

They said that district senior vice-president Shehryar Khan opposed the decision, saying it would weaken the party.

One of the members claimed that party’s provincial president Ameer Haidar Hoti was also perturbed by the internal rivalry in the party’s Swabi chapter.

Meanwhile, Awami National Party-Wali’s acting provincial president Pir Fayyaz visited the district the other day and met with the annoyed leaders of ANP, inviting them to join the caravan of Begum Nasim Wali.

Sources said that the annoyed leaders told Mr Fayyaz that their first priority was to try and settle issues with their own party.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2015

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