Awami National Party part ways with PDM

Decision was taken in ANP's Central Majlis and Working Committee meeting

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Angered by the show-cause notice, Awami National Party (ANP) on Tuesday announced to part ways with Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) – an 11-party opposition alliance.

The decision has been made in a meeting of the ANP’s Central Majlis and Working Committee held today with Central Senior Vice President Ameer Haider Khan Hoti in chair.

It is pertinent to mention here that the ANP had expressed resentment for being served show cause notice by the PDM for violating rules designated by the opposition alliance.

Later, addressing a press conference after the meeting, ANP senior vice president Ameer Haider Khan Hoti said matters pertaining to the show cause notice were reviewed in the meeting.

Hoti while announcing to quit his Vice President position in the PDM said that the ANP will quit all positions from the opposition alliance.

He went on to say that even today the ANP supports the principles of the charter and will continue political journey on the same principles, adding that the success of movement also put pressure on the selectors.

The ANP leader further said that the long march had been postponed due to the differences over resignations, adding that the ANP was of the view that the long march would be ineffective without unanimous resignations and the PDM meeting unanimously decided to postpone the long march.

“We know why the ANP was served show cause notice,” he said and added the ANP was being pushed to the wall. “Only party chief Asfandyar Wali has the right to seek answer from the party leadership, while the PPP had reservations over the issue of leader of opposition in Senate.”

Hoti said: "The PTI and the JUI-F have joined hands to give the PPP a tough time in Larkana. Of course, this should also have been explained, but neither should a show-cause notice have been served to PML-N or Maulana Fazlur Rehman."

On Monday, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Awami National Party (ANP) had been issued with show cause notices for violating rules designated by opposition‘s alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

The notices had been dispatched by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and PDM secretary general Shahid Khaqan Abbasi today after the approval from PDM head and chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

Both the parties had been directed to present their explanation in seven days.

Previously, the PPP had been asked to justify its step of appointing its candidate, former PM Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, as Leader of Opposition in Senate, against the decision of PDM while ANP had also been directed to clarify why it had supported PPP in this move.

Meanwhile, the leaders of eight PDM parties held an important consultative meeting in Islamabad in which it was agreed that show cause notices would be sent to the PPP and ANP.

Sources told that after giving the PPP and ANP a fair chance to express their views, they will be expelled from the PDM.