NOWSHERA: The Pakistan Peoples Parties received a severe blow when former federal minister and senior party leader Mian Muzzafar Shah quit the party and joined the Awami National Party over unending differences in the local chapter of PPP.

Mr Shah announced his decision at a public meeting held at his hujra here the other day, where hundreds PPP workers also joined the ANP and extended support to its NA-25 candidate Malik Juma Khan and PK-63 and 64 nominee Mohammad Shahid Khattak.

On the occasion, Barrister Mian Sarwar Shah, son of Muzzafar Shah, announced to withdraw from the election in the favour of ANP candidates.

ANP provincial president Ameer Haider Hoti, senior leader Abdul Latif Afridi, Malik Juma Khan, Shahid Khan Khattak, Noor Alam Advocate, Sangeen Khan, Akbar Durrrani and others were also present.

Addressing the meeting, Mr Hoti alleged that a campaign had been underway to bring a specific party into power. He said ANP had serious reservations over interference in the political process by some elements.

However, he said the ANP would not left the political ground to any force and would participate fully in the election. He said his party was ready to challenge the dangerous situation and would come out victorious after the July 25 elections.

Meanwhile, senior ANP leader and prominent lawyer Latif Afridi, while talking to Dawn said the coming general elections would not be free and fair as some forces were trying to bar PML-N leaders from contesting the elections and forcing the party workers to join PTI.

He added the court judgments delivered against the PML-N leaders at the election time had also made the polls suspicious.

He maintained that the remarks of Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court had further aggravated the situation. The allegations made by the judge should be thoroughly probed by independent, free and honest investigators, he demanded.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2018