PESHAWAR, March 4: The provincial chief of the Awami National Party, Nasim Wali Khan, has asked the Deputy General Secretary of the party's NWFP chapter, Amir Haider Khan Hoti, to discharge duties as the acting general secretary.

This was announced in a press released issued from the Bacha Khan Markaz on Friday. The office of the provincial general secretary fell vacant after ANP chief Asfandyar Wali, on March 1, suspended the party membership of Farid Toofan.

"The elevation of Haider Hoti has validated my point that Azam Hoti wants to get his son appointed as the provincial general secretary, for which was asked to relinquish the office or face expulsion from the party long ago," Mr Toofan told Dawn.

The suspension of Mr Toofan has left the Wali family divided into two groups with Azam Hoti and Asfandyar Wali confronting Nasim Wali, who is Azam's sister and Asfandyar's stepmother.

The ousted leader, however, said: "The appointment has been made in line with the party's constitution and I fully support the move on the part of the provincial party chief."

Similar views were expressed by leaders from the other bloc. "In accordance with the party constitution, the provincial president was required to elevate the deputy general secretary after the office of the general secretary fell vacant due to the absence of the office holder," said Mian Iftikhar, who is one of the four office-bearers who resigned on Feb 24 in protest against Mr Toofan's 'rude attitude'.

He, however, said that the elevation of Amir Hoti would not make much difference as far as action against Mr Toofan was concerned as the party's central committee would hold discussion into his suspension in its meeting on March 16 in Rawalpindi.

The press release was issued by Qazi Hazoorullah, an office secretary of the NWFP chapter of the ANP, in place of the provincial information secretary after the office also fell vacant as a result of the ongoing tussle between senior leaders of the party.