CHARSADDA: Awami National Party president Asfandyar Wali Khan announced on Saturday that his son Aimal Wali Khan would contest his maiden election from PK-18, Charsadda, in the next general elections.

He was speaking here at a workers convention where Aimal’s birthday was also celebrated by cutting a cake.

“Bacha Khan’s fourth generation has entered practical politics and Aimal will contest elections from PK-18,” he said, adding that Aimal would follow in the footsteps of his great grandfather Bacha Khan to serve the people.

ANP chief calls for Fata’s representation in KP Assembly

Earlier, Barrister Arshad Abdullah had contested elections from PK-18 in 2008 and 2013. Begum Nasim Wali had also contested elections from the same area and won the seat several times.

Mr Asfandyar said that Pakhtun nation was passing through a critical time and their blood was shed everywhere. He said that Bacha Khan’s philosophy of non-violence was followed everywhere in the world, but unfortunately Pakhtuns had forgotten his philosophy.

He said that his forefathers had declared Afghan war as mischief (fasad) about four decades ago and now the people had realised that it was ‘fasad’ by launching operation Raddul Fasad against terrorists.

About Fata reforms, he suggested giving representation to the people of tribal areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly in the next elections. He demanded allocation of reserved seats for Fata and its merger with KP.

About the situation in Afghanistan, he urged both Kabul and Islamabad to come to the negotiating table and remove each other’s apprehensions and misunderstandings. “Pakistan is our country, while Afghanistan was the country of our forefathers. So, we must sit together and remove the irritants in our relations,” he added.

Mr Asfandyar alleged that PTI chairman Imran Khan had promoted indecency in politics. He claimed that Imran was a good cricketer, but he could not become a good politician.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2017