PESHAWAR, April 17: The Awami National Party has criticized Federal Minister for Water and Power Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao for his inability to strive for the attainment of the rights of Pukhtuns while being twice the chief minister of the province.

Addressing a public meeting held here on Saturday in connection with the joining of the ANP by PPP-Sherpao's activists, including Abdul Wali Khan, Ismail Khan and Gul Faraz, at Sherpao village, Charsadda district, party Secretary-General Farid Khan Toofan said Mr Sherpao had stabbed the Pakistan People's Party, which had twice made him the chief minister, in the back.

"How could a person, who had ditched the PPP and is sitting in the lap of (President Pervez) Musharraf, be expected to defend the rights of Pukhtuns," he wondered, alleging: "Mr Sherpao had fled the country on account of corruption and now has joined Musharraf's camp under a deal."

Such people, Mr Toofan said, did not care for the rights of anyone and were in pursuit of fulfilment of their vested interests, he said.

Not only that he ditched the mainstream PPP but was also opposed to the Muttahida Majlis-Amal government due to which he had won the election, he further said.

He asked Mr Sherpao to clarify his position regarding the uniform of President Musharraf because the PPP-Patriots had already asked the president not to shade it.

On the occasion, ANP information secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain Shah said the ANP had always struggled for the rights of the province and would continue to do so in future.