ISLAMABAD: The Awami National Party (ANP) on Tuesday announced to part ways with the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) after the former was served a show-cause notice over supporting Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the appointment of opposition leader in Senate.

Addressing a press conference today, ANP’s acting president and Senior Vice President Amir Haider Khan Hoti announced the decision of leaving the PDM officially.

“I withdraw myself from the PDM as its vice-president, Mian Iftikhar withdraws himself as PDM’s spokesperson [and] Zahid Khan withdraws himself from the PDM as its deputy general secretary,” ANP leader Ameer Haider Hoti told the media persons saying that certain political groups have hijacked the opposition alliance.

The ANP leader said the PDM can’t be called an alliance. “The ANP is withdrawing itself from this process,” he said.

Hoti said only ANP president Asfandyar Wali was entitled to serve show cause notice on the ANP or its members and no one other could do so. He said the PDM ended as soon as it served show cause notices on the parties.

“The show cause notice is issued within the parties and neither PDM is a party nor they are part of it,” declared Hoti.

Hoti said all opposition parties should’ve been given a chance to explain themselves. The ANP did explain its position to Abbasi but still it was issued the show-cause notice, he added.

“Show-cause notices are given within a political party,” the ANP leader said. “The ANP is a part of the PDM but we did not join the PML-N, neither did we merge with the JUI-F.”

He said that ANP cannot facilitate the personal agendas of anyone, Hoti also announced to leave all the offices of the PDM.

He claimed that two or three parties want to take all the decisions in the PDM. “They see the ANP and PPP as a hurdle. We have been pushed to the wall,” the ANP leader said.

He accused the JUI-F and the PML-N of using the PDM for their “personal agenda”. “Some parties want to use the PDM for their own personal interest,” the ANP leader said. “If someone is pursuing a personal agenda then the ANP can’t remain a part of it.”

The PDM had itself announced the end of the alliance when it issued show-cause notices to them, Hoti said.

He said the PDM was formed on September 20, 2020 under a declaration and the people took part in the movement with zeal. He said the long march was the next step of the movement and the differences started to emerge after postponing the long march.

Hoti said there were two PDM candidates competing for the Opposition Leader’s slot in the Senate and they voted for the PPP. He rued that they were not given a chance to defend themselves.

He said in Larkana Pakistan Tehrek-i-Insaf and JUI have joined forces against the PPP. He said Nawaz Sharif did not even make a single call to inquire after Asfandyar Wali.

The decision was made in a high level meeting of the ANP’s Central Majlis and Working Committee, held Tuesday under the chairmanship of Central Senior Vice President Amir Haider Khan Hoti.

The meeting was attended by Ghulam Bilour, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Zahid Khan and others.

Earlier, ANP had supported the Pakistan People’s Party’s candidate for opposition leader in Senate Yousaf Raza Gillani that left Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazal in rage.

The opposition parties headed by PML-N have issued a show-cause notice to the PPP and ANP to explain their positions over deviating from the PDM’s decision to support the PML-N candidate as the opposition leader in the Senate.

PDM general secretary and PML-N’s leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Monday said he had sent show cause notices to PPP and ANP over the issue and has sought reply in seven days. Abbasi said notices had been sent via WhatsApp while the original copy will be given during the Senate session.

“The PMD has given seven days to PPP and ANP to submit their replies. The replies will be presented in the PDM summit that will decide on the next course of action,” he further added. Abbasi said it has been written on the notice that PDM will not make this notice public but if both parties want to make these notices public they could do that.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Monday held consultations with the party leaders over a show-cause notice served by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

According to sources privy to the details of the meeting, the discussion led to division among the party over two narratives with one side asking the leadership not to respond to the notice while the others calling for a stern reply.

“The meeting rejected the show-cause notice served by the PDM with some members suggesting that no response should be given on it,” they said adding that the party men were of the view that show-cause to PPP is of no worth as PPP is not answerable to any political party. NNI