CHARSADDA, Dec 14: The Awami National Party (ANP) and the National Awami Party Pakistan (NAPP) are likely to be merged into a single party soon, sources close to Wali Bagh told Dawn on Saturday.

The sources said both the parties had constituted committees for the purpose which had completed the homework for the merger. “This merger would be the first phase of the unity of nationalist forces. In the second phase, the Pukhtoonkhwa Qaumi Party of Mohammad Afzal Khan would be approached for a possible merger or an alliance and in the last phase the Pukhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party of Mahmood Khan Achackzai would be contacted in order to complete the process of the unity of all Pukhtoon nationalist forces on one platform,” they disclosed.

After the electoral rout of the nationalist parties in the Oct 10 general elections, the followers and supporters of these parties, specially Pukhtoon intellectuals, prevailed upon the leadership of these parties to shun their petty differences for the unity of Pukhtoon nation.

Soon after the results of the general election, NAPP chief Ajmal Khattak visited Wali Bagh, ignoring all the differences with the ANP and this was the first move in the direction of unity among Pukhtoon nationalist forces.

“When those people who did not say even prayers behind each other could unite, why the Pukhtoon nationalists, who have struggled for years unitedly, forge unity in their ranks,” remarked Asfandyar Wali Khan, former central president of the ANP.

He said his party was ready for merger and if a merger was not possible, at least a loose alliance like the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) was the need of the hour among the Pukhtoon nationalist parties.