Begum Nasim Wali Khan, widow of the late nationalist leader Abdul Wali Khan and president of her own faction of Awami National Party-Wali (ANP-W), has so far been unable to attract large scale support from ANP workers. The widow of Abdul Wali Khan and daughter-in-law of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan [Bacha Khan], Begum Nasim Wali Khan, strongly believed that she would attract ANP grass root support after developing differences with its leadership headed by her stepson Asfandyar Wali Khan.
On February 19, 2014, she formed her own party, ANP-W, following her decision to break her decade long silence and challenged the ANP existing leadership in the face of its massive electoral defeat in 2013 general elections. Initially, a large number of ANP dissidents joined her party from many districts, particularly from Charsadda, Mardan, Swat, Nowshera, Peshawar and Swabi. But so far ANP ranks remain firmly behind Asfandyar Wali Khan despite the massive defeat in last year's general elections and no prominent leader from the party showed his intention to join ANP-W of Begum Nasim Wali.
The ANP, after facing major setback in the general elections, has begun reorganisation at district, tehsil and union council level and has also activated its youth leadership. Its objective: to prevent the possible breakaway of its workers with continued corner meetings and workers conventions. However, talking to Business Recorder, ANP-W Secretary-general Fareed Tufan maintained that Begum Nasim Wali was enjoying support of workers at grassroots level and claimed that she would challenge the ANP leadership in the coming days.
Tufan added that Begum Nasim Wali Khan had focused on organizing campaigns in other provinces, including Punjab and Balochistan. He revealed that the ANP-W was organizing a public rally in Bannu on November 23 where Begum Nasim Wali would address a large number of workers. "It would be an eye-opener for the ANP leadership and we are hopeful that a large number of workers from the southern districts would attend the rally," he said.
To another question, he said that the ANP was only confined to media and its leadership was unable to go to the public due to its previous mistakes. "The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is chasing the ANP leadership in corruption cases and they are unable to face the public," Fareed Tufan maintained.
When contacted, ANP Secretary Information Senator Zahid Khan said that Begum Nasim Wali was respected by the ANP leadership and its workers, adding that the party leadership did not consider her a threat. He also rejected the impression that ANP leadership was disconnected from its workers, saying that the party's chief Asfandyar Wali Khan recently addressed a workers' convention in Peshawar and he was in close contact with the party workers.
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