PESHAWAR: A group of disgruntled Awami National Party activists on Thursday demanded the reconstitution of the party’s parliamentary board accusing it of nepotism and favouritism in the award of tickets for the next elections.

Ajmal Hayat Arbab of Peshawar told a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club that party president Asfandyar Wali had empowered his own family members, including former chief minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti and son Aimal Wali Khan, to lead the parliamentary board, who were naming election candidates on the basis of favoritism and nepotism.

Accompanied by Arbab Liaquat, Arbab Abbas, Wahid Khalil and other disgruntled activists, he demanded the reconstitution of the parliamentary board to make ideological leaders part of the ticket awarding exercise to ensure transparency.

Mr Arbab claimed that he remained very close to Khudai Khidmatgar Bacha Khan and rendered sacrifices for strengthening the party but the leadership had ignored him.

“(ANP chief) Asfandyar Wali wants to see his son become the next provincial chief minister,” he claimed, alleged that all decisions of the party’s central leadership were based on nepotism.

The ANP activist said the party had no more any place for ideologues and sincere workers.

He said Asfandyar Wali had lost the workers’ confidence for failing to ensure democratic culture in the party.

“We cannot tolerate further destruction of the party at the hands of ‘opportunists and junior people. The party belongs to workers,” he said.

Mr Arbab said workers would fight for own rights and would go to every extent to save the party from destruction.

He claimed that a large number of ideological leaders and workers were in contact with him.

“I’ll soon announce the future line of action after consulting them,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2017