Awami National Party edit
extracted from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
(using Wikipedia Reflection Script)
|
Awami National Party edit
|
|
The Awami National Party, is a secular Pashtun political party in Pakistan. Its main area of electoral influence is in the Pashtun dominated areas of the North-West Frontier Province.
| Awami National Party Urdu: عوامی نيشنل پارٹی Pashto: ملي عوامي ګوند |
|
 |
|
| Leader | Member of National Assembly Asfandyar Wali Khan |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1986 |
| Headquarters | Central Secretariat Parliament Lodges Islamabad, Pakistan |
| Ideology | Centre-Left , Socialism on a pan-Islamic basis, Pashtun Nationalism |
| International affiliation | None |
| Website | |
| www.awaminationalparty.org/ | |
Contents |
In 1986, the National Democratic Party merged with several other progressive political and nationalist groups to form the Awami National Party. Abdul Wali Khan was elected as its president and Sindhi nationalist Rasul Bakh Palijo was elected its secretary general. The party from 1986-1988 was a member of the Movement for Restoration of Democracy.
The party formed a coalition government with the People's Party in NWFP and Islamabad after the 1988 election. This alliance collapsed in 1989 after differences cropped up between the two parties. After the election of Nawaz Sharif to power after the 1990 elections the ANP again formed a coalition with former rivals Pakistan Muslim League. This alliance proved longer lasting, suriving till 1998 when it collapsed over differenences over Kalabagh dam and renaming the province Pakhtunkhwa. The party then joined the Grand Democratic Alliance, campaigning against the increasingly dictatorial Nawaz Sharif governments policies. After Nawaz Sharifs overthrow by Pervaiz Musharraf, the party stayed an active member of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy, till the 9-11, when it left the alliance over supporting the US ouster of the Taliban. In the 2002 elections the party struck up an alliance with the People's party however both parties were electorally routed in NWFP by the religo-political alliance MMA riding on a wave of anti-american mood in Pakistan.1
In the 2008 elections the party contested on it's own and won a plurality of votes in NWFP as well as winning in Balochistan for the first time in 15 years and Karachi for the first time. It subsequently formed a government in NWFP and is supporting the PPP government in the centre and other provinces.
The strongholds of ANP are in the Pashtun areas of Pakistan, particularly in the Peshawar valley of the North-West Frontier Province. Karachi hosts one of the largest Pashtun populations in the world with 3.5 million, In the 2008 election, the ANP won two MPA seats in Karachi.[20]
The Awami National Party is one fo the few parties in Pakistan to hold a system of regular internal general elections every four year period.2
The party is espouses a liberal pro Pashtun philosophy advocating regional autonomy and cultural expression. A frequent coalition partner in provincial politics it was routed in the 2002 elections because of its opposition to the Taliban and support for the US invasion of Afghanistan.
It was targeted in 2007 and 2008 by presumed supporters of the Taliban.4 Despite the attacks, the party has advocated dialogue with moderate tribal elements to end present violence in the North West Frontier Province and Federally Administered Tribal Areas. It has rejected foreign interference in the region whether US or Al-Qaeda.5
In the 2008 elections, the Awami National Party beat Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, a party formed by coalition of Islamic movements in 2002. It also won provincial seats in Balochistan and in Sind for the first time. It formed a coalition government with the Pakistan People's Party in all three provinces. In the North-West Frontier Province it has its first Chief minister since 1948.
On May 9, 2008 it was reported by DAWN quoting source from diplomatic sources which was not denied by Asfandyar Wali Khan in leading English daily newspaper Dawn (newspaper) that he made a secret visit to the United States in which he made high level contacts with the U.S Central Command6.
It is alleged by JUI-F that separatist billboards7 showing up in NWFP province of Pakistan are erected by Awami National Party 8.
| Election | National Assembly | NWFP Provincial Assembly seats won | National percentage of polled votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 13 | 48 | ? |
| 2002 | 0 | 7 | 1.0% |
| 1997 | 10 | 32 | 2.31 |
| 1993 | 03 | 18 | 1.67% |
| 1990 | 06 | 23 | 1.68% |
| 1988 | 02 | 10 | 2.80% |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
This article about an Asian political party is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
