PESHAWAR, March 28: Scores of senior workers of Awami National Party belonging to different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have tendered resignation from the party and formed a separate group.

The new ANP faction is named as Tehrik Nazria Bacha Khan.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Zar Ali Khan said that they were compelled to quit ANP as its leaders forgot the philosophy of Bacha Khan and focused only on accumulating money.

Flanked by 115-year-old Haji Sultan Baba, Prof Arbab Farman, Arbab Inamullah, Tahir Khan and Haji Ghulam Rasool, he said that the senior workers, who rendered sacrifices for independence of Pakistan from the platform of ANP, were ignored by the leaders.

Speaking on the occasion, Haji Sultan Baba alleged that he paid Rs60,000 to get his grandson recruited in policedespite the fact that he struggled for his entire life as a party worker.

He alleged that the party was looting its own workers after coming into power. He said that they were happy when ANP formed government in the province, expecting that miseries of workers would be mitigated. “The present leaders of the party forgot senior members and focused on making money,” Sultan Baba alleged.

The disgruntled workers said that doors of Chief Minister’s House were closed for the senior most activists and real followers of ANP but on the other hand meetings of common workers of Pakistan People’s Party were held there.

About war against terrorism, they said that Pakhtuns were besieged and their image was damaged by the conspirators. “Only Pakhtuns are the target of the US aggression, military operations and militant attacks,” they added.

Arbab Inamullah Khan said that ANP government completely failed to restore peace in the province and control unemployment and loadshedding.

He said that an unannounced third world war was being fought on the soil of Pakhtuns.