Aftab Sherpao announces Qaumi Watan party

Former interior minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao has finally announced to end his association with the Pakistan People’s Party banner by announcing the establishment of Quami Watan Party that will have a nationalist approach towards existing issues and problems. Sherpao’s PPP-Sherpao was renamed Quami Watan Party in a well-attended convention at his residence in Hayatabad on Wednesday.
Organisational setup of the newly-established nationalist political force will remain the same i.e. Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao will be the central chairman, Aneesa Zeb Tahirkheli as the secretary general and Abdul Malik Khan the central senior vice president. Sikandar Hayat Sherpao will be the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president of the QWP and Bakht Baidar Khan will be the secretary general.
Malik Zafar Awan will lead the party in Punjab and Abdul Qayoom Buneri will take its reins in Sindh. Other office-bearers will be announced later. However, it was declared that at the district and tehsil levels, all office-bearers of the PPP-S would occupy same offices in the new party. Aftab Sherpao, who remained second to only Benazir Bhutto in the PPP for about two decades, established the PPP-S in 1998 last after development of differences with Benazir. Initially the, PPP-S made it hard for the PPP to operate in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as almost all former ministers, parliamentarians and office-holders joined hands with Sherpao. But gradually, almost all of them returned to the parent party. Even today, Aneesa Zeb Tahirkheli and Bakht Baidar are the only old guards of the PPP associated with PPP-S. However, after 2008 general elections when some progressive-minded elements announced joining the PPP-S, they provoked Aftab Sherpao for getting nationalist identity with a view of getting benefits of the ANP leadership’s failure and their internal rifts.
In this connection, some ANP workers from various districts announced joining the PPP-S, pitting Aftab Sherpao against the ANP. Some of these leaders had earlier contributed to establishment of National Progressive Party, Pakistan National Party, ANP, Quami Inqilabi Party, Pakhtunkhwa Quami Party and National Awami Party Pakistan.