SHANGLA: The Awami National Party has decided to field Mutawakil Khan, a new entrant in the party, from PK-87 Shangla in 2018 general elections, according to party insiders.

Talking to this scribe here on Friday, they said that the decision was taken in a recent meeting of ANP at Bacha Khan Markaz in Peshawar, which was attended by party leaders, including Amir Haider Hoti, Sardar Hussain Babak, party’s district president and others.

They said that Mutawakil Khan was the Qaumi Watan Party district chairman and its candidate from the same constituency and he had got about 7,000 votes in the 2013 general elections.

“We welcome Mutawakil in ANP, which is a clear message to the opponents that ANP has been strengthened in Shangla,” said Shamsur Rehman, ANP district councillor from Dehrai.

Another senior party worker said that ANP’s position in the district was stronger than before and Mutawakl would prove to be a good addition in the party.

Shah Farooq, a senior ANP leader who was also an aspirant to get the party ticket, said that he respected the party leadership’s decision.

Sultan-i-Room advocate, another QWP activist, told this scribe that he along with Mutawakil would announce formal joining of ANP at a press conference within next few days.

Meanwhile, PTI MPA Shaukat Yousfzai alleged that former rulers had made assets through corruption.

He was addressing public meetings at Tango and Shalmano areas of Pirabad. He said that the ANP leaders had fled the country when it was facing a wave of terrorism.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2018