Daily Times

Asfandyar Wali Khan was re-elected  unopposed as the central president of the Awami National Party for the sixth consecutive time after the ANP’s  central election commission conducted polls at the Bacha Khan Markaz. Members of the council cast their votes enthusiastically to elect the office-bearers of the central cabinet.

The breakup of other elected office-bearers as follows: Mian Iftikhar Hussain was made general secretary, Asfandyar’s nephew and former chief minister Ameer Haider Hoti and former Senator Zahid Khan were voted as senior vice-president and secretary information respectively.

Earlier, Asfandyar’s son Aimal Wali was elected unopposed provincial president of the party last month.

Addressing the members of the central executive council, Asfandyar Wali Khan maintained that the economic policies of the government would wipe out the middle-class and its repercussions could be very dangerous for the country.

“The government’s policies will result in eliminating the poor instead of eradicating poverty”, he warned. He added that no country could survive without a stronger middle-class.

He further said Imran Khan inducted 22 unelected advisers and special assistants into the cabinet, even though majority of them served in the previous government of the Pakistan Peoples Party. He claimed that PM’s advisers even did not take oath which was a constitutional requirement.

He reminded the audience that  Imran Khan was criticising Dr Hafeez Shaikh when he was finance minister in the PPP government. He said the induction of outsiders into the federal cabinet reflected the dearth of qualified people in the PTI.

“I think Assad Umar was made scapegoat,” he guessed.

He also flayed Imran Khan for claiming that five billion trees had been planted  in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The ANP leader warned the government against rolling back the 18th Amendment and introduction of presidential system. He alleged that the PTI started has already started pre-poll rigging in former Fata even before coming elections for the provincial assembly.

He called for investigations into the killing of a person in uniform at the hands of a woman in Mohmand tribal district. He said the woman reportedly murdered the man to protect her “honour.”