CHARSADDA: Awami National Party has expelled senior leader and adviser to former chief minister Syed Masoom Shah Bacha.

A recent appointment to the “Facts Are Facts” media platform at Bacha Khan Markaz in Peshawar, led to a war of words between ANP workers and Shah and his supporters on social media.

Bacha objected to the appointment, terming it unacceptable, and announced his decision to part ways with the party.

He insisted that he couldn’t remain associated with a political platform where “individuals with controversial religious affiliations” were assigned important responsibilities.

Meanwhile, an audio clip, purported to be of ANP central president Aimal Wali Khan, is circulating on social media in which he initially expressed a lack of awareness of the matter but later revealed the removal of that individual from the media platform post.

In a related development, ANP district Charsadda president Shakil Bashir Khan Umarzai confirmed the termination of Bacha’s basic party membership.

Earlier, Bacha strongly objected to the Bacha Khan Markaz appointment, calling it controversial.

Meanwhile, district leadership of the International Tahaffuz Khatm-i-Nabuwwat on Thursday welcomed the ANP leadership’s decision and urged political and social organisations to exercise due diligence before making appointments to avoid similar controversies.

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2026