MANSEHRA: The Torghar chapter of the Awami National Party (ANP) declared on Wednesday that they would not support candidates who join the party opportunistically to obtain tickets for the upcoming general elections.
“As a democratic party, our workers are the followers of Bacha Khan’s philosophy and won’t accept aspirants who join our ranks solely for personal benefits,” stated Asghar Khan, the ANP district general secretary, during a meeting held in Kunder Hassanzai.
The meeting, which was attended by all executive body members except district president Zahid Khan, called for a reconsideration of the decision to grant a ticket to Zareen Gul Bacha. They argued that Bacha had opposed the ANP in Torghar for nearly a decade.
“We seek an aspirant who can uphold the legacy of the ANP in the district and serve the locals in the true sense,” he said.At the meeting, the chairmen of village and neighbourhood councils from various parts of the district also expressed opposition to candidates joining the party solely for election tickets.
“We reserve the right to oppose such candidates joining our party for personal benefits,” Khan declared.A committee was formed to decide if they should support an independent candidate running in the elections for the provincial assembly’s constituency in the district if the party leadership remains stuck on its decision.