— An eye-opener for ANP-

PESHAWAR: Known for changing political parties, the resignation of Khwaja Muhammad Khan Hoti from federal cabinet was not a bolt from the blue. However, his criticism of the party policies is an eye-opener for the ANP leadership before awarding tickets to the novice and well-off candidates for Senate elections.According to a provincial office-bearer of the ANP, the party had received more than 60 applications for the upcoming Senate elections, majority of whom belonged to influential and resourceful families. Out of eleven vacant seats, the ANP is expected to win six in case it makes adjustment with independent MPAs and other parties.Taking a U-turn from its old track, the Awami National Party had awarded tickets to newcomers but wealthy candidates for 2008 general elections and after securing maximum seats in the province, the nationalist party then inducted resourceful politicians both in the federal cabinet as well as provincial cabinet. Ignoring experienced parliamentarians and diehard loyalists of the ANP like late Abdul Mateen Khan, Arbab Muhammad Zahir Khan, Muzafarul Mulk, Pir Haider Ali Shah and Pervez Khan in the federal cabinet from the ANP quota had earned a wide flak for the party leadership but the influential Nawabzada was given berth in the federal cabinet as federal minister for social welfare and special education in its first phase.Similarly, the ANP had preferred the newcomers to the old party activists in the NWFP cabinet whereas important portfolios were awarded to those who had either joined the party before the polls or after elections.The favour began with the nomination of Syed Masoom Shah as personal secretary to the NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti, who is serving political advisor to the chief minister. After having a long association with the students’ wing of the Pakistan People’s Party, Masoom Shah had joined former NWFP chief minister Aftab Sherpao when he formed his own faction of the PPP. However, he joined the ANP before 2008 elections and was awarded party ticket for PF-21 Charsadda where he lost to Sikandar Sherpao.NWFP Minister for Agriculture Arbab Ayub Jan had a track record of changing parties since coming into electoral politics in 1985. After switching over from PPP to ANP and then National Awami Party Pakistan (NAPP), Arbab Ayub Jan was the central president of the NAPP before re-joining the ANP. He contested the 2008 general elections on the ANP ticket and won. Provincial Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Barrister Arshad Abdullah had joined the ANP before general elections 2008 who had contested 2002 elections on the PPP ticket against Sangeen Wali Khan, son of Khan Abdul Wali Khan, on PF-18 Charsadda. He was fortunate enough to win elections on the ANP ticket and secure a berth in the provincial cabinet while superseding Bashir Umerzai and Fazl Ghafoor Khan — hailing from the same district who had been associated with the party since long.
Another lucky MPA Hidayatullah from Dir Upper district was blessed with a ministerial job. He was previously associated with the Jamaat-e-Islami. But when the JI boycotted the general elections, he applied for the ANP ticket, which he got. He won the elections. He is now Minister for Livestock in the NWFP cabinet.Provincial minister Qazi Asad from Haripur, Mian Nisar Gul Kakakhel from Karak and Amjad Afridi from Kohat had won 2008 elections in independent capacity but after joining the ruling ANP they were inducted in the provincial cabinet. Mian Nisar Gul had won the 2002 general elections from the platform of Pakistan Tehreek Insaaf but put his weight behind the MMA government for almost five years. Qazi Asad was elected to the provincial assembly on the PML-Q ticket in 2002 general elections but was re-elected to the NWFP Assembly in independent capacity and was inducted in the provincial cabinet as minister for higher education on the ANP quota. Likewise, the PPP had also accommodated those in the provincial cabinet on its quota who had either associated with other political parties in past or won the elections as independent candidates.