PESHAWAR: Awami National Party (ANP) leader Asfandyar Wali Khan, speaking at a public meeting held in connection with the coming by-election in NA-4, asked people on Sunday to vote for the party which had been “deprived of its mandate by extremist forces” in the previous general elections.

“We had been saying our mandate was forcefully snatched from us. Seize this opportunity. Get up and vote the ANP back to power. The followers of Bacha Khan give the party the honour it rightly deserve,” Asfandyar Wali said, reminding the people of the May 2013 general elections, when his party could not openly launch a poll campaign due to terrorist threats.

After being swept off in the polls, Asfandyar Wali had alleged that the ANP had lost election because its mandate was snatched by terrorist activities. He had even ironically said that they thought “Chief Election Commissioner Fakhruddin G. Ibrahim would adjudicate the electoral contest….but the real referee was Hakimullah Mehsud”, the then Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan leader.

The ANP chief was speaking at a gathering of party workers in Matani area of Peshawar as electioneering gained momentum in the city for the NA-4 by-election to be held on Oct 26.

The nationalist leader also shared anecdotes and warned his opponents to be beware of the ‘wrath of ANP workers’.

“Abdul Wali Khan used to say ANP workers are wasps: If they bite then they bite hard and force a person to flee,” Asfandyar Wali said, referring to his father and the ANP founding leader, and then went on to revive the spirit and zeal in his party workers by advising them to work hard and reach out to every voter since everyone was important to the ANP being a nationalist party representing Pukhtun people.

He reminded the people of his grandfather Bacha Khan who used to make sure he reached out to everyone. “He (Bacha Khan) considered it his fault if he did not meet every Pukhtun and visit his home to spread his message of peace, so ANP workers should also ensure that they reach out to everyone.”

He said the ANP would never allow democracy to be derailed as it stood by democratic forces.

The NA-4 seat fell vacant after the death of PTI’s disgruntled MNA Gulzar Khan on Aug 27. His son Asad Gulzar is contesting the election from the platform of the Pakistan People’s Party. His rival candidates include Khushdil Khan of the ANP, Arbab Amir of the PTI, Nasir Khan Musazai of the Pakistan Muslim League-N and Wasil Farooq of Jamaat-i-Islami.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2017