PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party has ejected Senator Azam Khan Hoti from the party on grounds of violating party discipline by demanding the resignation of Asfandar Wali and Afrasiab Khattak, reported Express News.
Senator Hoti had warned a couple of weeks ago that if former party chief Asfandyar Wali Khan did not quit soon, he would open up a ‘Pandora’s Box’ against him.
“I will make revelations against party leaders and after that they will not be able to stay in the country.”
Hoti had said he had been looking at the party affairs for several years and has apprised the leadership of his apprehensions but his concerns were went unheeded. The former ANP federal minister wanted Afrasiab Khattak out of the party along with Asfandyar Wali.
Following his tirade, the party’s leadership issued a show-cause notice to Hoti and asked him to clarify his stance.
Hoti, however, refused to tone down his stance, instead stepped it up.
“I cannot tolerate this person to be part of the party anymore,” Hoti said of Khattak, who he claimed was not a Pukhtun leader or an individual, but a “mindset”. He went on to add ANP’s central, provincial and district leadership should have resigned from their positions following the defeat in the May 11 general elections.
He had added that:
“We cannot draw a line between Wali Bagh and the ANP as the movement cannot move forward without them. However, Asfandyar is not able to run the movement.”
When asked about rumours of his joining Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Hoti had said that he vowed to remain with ANP until he died.
“I am neither a communist nor a socialist, but a nationalist and will never leave the party of Pukhtuns.”
