CHARSADDA, Feb 21: Awami National Party president Asfandyar Wali Khan has decided to contest coming general election from his hometown constituency of NA-7, Charsadda-I.

Alam Zeb Khan, ANP’s Charsadda district secretary information, told Dawn that following his predecessors the party chief had formally submitted an application at the ANP district secretariat, seeking allotment of party ticket for the constituency to him.

A press release issued from Bacha Khan Markaz, Peshawar, also confirmed that the ANP chief had applied to the party’s parliamentary board for the ticket.

The press release quoted Mr Asfandyar as saying that the ANP had set the example by fully implementing its election manifesto and it would win people’s votes with a new manifesto for coming elections. He said that the new manifesto included several projects in health, education and other sectors.

Mr Asfandyar had won the 2008 election from NA-7 Charsadda-I by getting 57,234 votes, defeating Naseer Mohammad Khan of the PPP Parliamentarians. In 2002 general election, he was the runner up, as Maulana Gohar Shah of JUI-F had emerged victorious on the ticket of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal.

In 1997 general election, Asfandyar won the seat by defeating Mukhtar Ahmed Khan, while in 1990 election Maulana Hassan Jan of JUI-F had defeated ANP’s Khan Abdul Wali Khan on the same seat. Other potential contestants from NA-7 Charsadda-I for 2013 general election include Maulana Gohar Shah of JUI-F, Mohammad Arshad Khan of Jamaat-i-Islami, Naeem Khan Umarzai of PPP and Hashim Khan of Qaumi Watan Party.

CONVENTION: Speakers at Awami National Party workers’ convention in Charsadda said that the party had put the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on path of progress and prosperity. The convention was held here at Uthmanzai and attended by provincial law minister Arshad Abdullah, party district president Khalid Khan and other party leaders and workers.

They said that during its five-year tenure the ANP-led coalition government had started several development projects, including Patay dam project, Bacha Khan University and Abdul Wali Khan Sports Complex in Charsadda.

They said that ANP would seek people’s vote on the basis of its performance during last five years in government. The speakers said that the ANP had rendered numerous sacrifices for restoration of peace and combating militancy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.