ANP aims at major chunk of seats

PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party (ANP) is expected to get a major chunk of 11 Senate seats to be filled from the NWFP in March — probably more than what is numerically possible.With 48 members in the Frontier Assembly, the party is in a position to elect four members to the upper house of the parliament but ANP leaders are aiming at the double. “We are working on a strategy with our coalition partner PPP, whereupon the ANP will lend support to the PPP in other provinces in return for support to the ANP in NWFP. Besides, the party is also in contact with the independent MPAs and those from the smaller parties. We aim at around eight to nine Senate seats,” an ANP leader told The News wishing not to be named.While the ANP has sought applications for the party tickets till January 27, insiders claim the party leadership has already finalised at least eight names to be nominated by the party. They include Muhammad Azam Hoti, father of NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti, ANP Provincial President Afrasiyab Khattak, President of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association Latif Afridi, Mohammad Adeel, outgoing senator Hashim Babar and Dr Humayun.Besides, the party leadership is also expected to invite nationalist leader Afzal Khan Lala for Senate election, as the veteran politician has resigned from the parliamentary politics. According to the party’s constitution, a member has to apply for the Senate ticket and the ANP leadership would try to convince the former parliamentarian to apply for the party ticket.Meanwhile, some senior parliamentarians of the ruling coalition in the NWFP, especially from the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), have sought change in the procedure for Senate election and have supported election through show of hands instead of secret ballot.The PPP had failed to get even a single of its candidates elected to the Senate from the NWFP in 2006 despite having 11 members in the Frontier Assembly — enough to elect two members. In 2006, two independents — Gulzar Ahmad Khan and his son Waqar Ahmad Khan — were elected to the Senate from the NWFP instead. The ANP has two members in the Senate and got Ilyas Ahmad Bilour re-elected in 2006 despite being reduced to seven members in the previous assembly.A parliamentarian, who wished not to be named, said change in the procedure for the Senate election would bring an end to horse-trading. “Everywhere in the world, only direct elections are held through secret ballot while indirect elections are held through a show of hands,” he pointed out.