PESHAWAR, June 12: Arbab Ayub Jan’s National Awami Party Pakistan ceased to exist when the party’s central leadership announced its merger with the Awami National Party in the presence of Senator Asfandyar Wali Khan, Ajmal Khattak and other leaders and workers of both nationalist parties at the Turnab Farm on Monday.

When NAPP’s acting central president Sharif Khattak announced dissolution of its provincial, district and union council-level bodies and its merger with the ANP, its central president Arbab Ayub Jan was not present as he has been in the United States for more than two months for medical treatment.

Mr Khattak said that the decision had been made during a meeting held on Feb 24 but its announcement had been delayed.

He said Mr Jan had empowered him to announce the decision.

Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, Afrasiab Khattak, Abdul Latif Afridi, Bashir Ahmed Bilour, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Syed Aqil Shah, Shahabuddin Khan and Mohammad Adeel from ANP side and Arbab Saadullah Khan, Arbab Usman Khan, Prof Zahir Shah, Alamzeb Khan, Arbab Abdul Latif and others office bearers of the NAPP were present on the occasion.

Asfandyar Wali Khan hoisted the red ANP flag at the residence of Arbab Ayub Jan in Turnab Farm, some 15 kilometres from here.

“The merger had completed the chain of Pakhtun nationalism,” a jubilant Asfandyar Wali said, adding that there was no nationalist party except the ANP which was working for Pakhtuns’ rights and provincial autonomy. “Our goal and thinking are the same and today we have joined hands for collective struggle,” he added.