Asfandyar Wali Khan

Asfandyar Wali Khan (Pashto: اسفندیار ولي خان‎) (born 19 February 1949) is a Pakistani politician. A democratic socialist and Pashtun nationalist, he is President of the Awami National Party in Pakistan.

Asfandiyar Wali Khan
اسفندیار ولي خان
President Awami National Party
In office
1999–2002
Preceded byAjmal Khattak
Succeeded byEhsan Wyne
In office
2003–2007
Assumed office
2007
Preceded byEhsan Wyne
Personal details
Born (1949-02-19) 19 February 1949
Charsadda, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Political partyAwami National Party
ResidenceWalibagh, Charsadda, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Professionpolitician
Net worth40 Million PKR [1]
Parliament Pakistan

His father, Khan Abdul Wali Khan, was the party's first President. He is the grandson of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, better known as Bacha Khan; Abdul Ghaffar was the founder of the non-violent Pashtun political movement, Khudai Khidmatgar ("Servants of the God") in undivided India and a companion of Mahatma Gandhi. Asfandyar's uncle Khan Abdul Jabbar Khan was the Indian National Congress's Chief Minister of the North West Frontier Province, during the waning days of the British Raj, and also the Chief Minister of the province during the early days of independent Pakistan. Asfandyar is the present President of the Awami National Party and has served as Member of Provincial Assembly, Member of National Assembly, senator and presently MP in Pakistan's Parliament. Asfandyar Wali Khan got credit of provincial autonomy and the renaming of North West Frontier Province as Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa with support of coalition partner PPP during 18th amendment 2010.

Personal background
Asfandyar Wali Khan calls on the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on July 28, 2004.

Asfandyar Wali Khan was born in Charsadda, then a small village outside of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, Pakistan. He is the eldest son of Khan Abdul Wali Khan and his first wife Taj Bibi. After the death of his mother in February 1949 his father married Nasim Wali Khan in 1954. Sangeen Wali Khan was his half brother and eldest son of Nasim Wali Khan.

Education

Asfandyar Wali Khan completed his early education from Aitchison College, Lahore, High School from Islamia Collegiate School and his BA from Islamia College, Peshawar Pakhtoon Khwa University of Peshawar.[2]

Political career

Asfandyar Wali Khan joined the opposition to Ayub Khan as a student activist. In 1975, Asfandyar was accused of the murder of Hayat Sherpao, against whose leadership at NWFP Asfandyar had allegedly waged an armed campaign. He was imprisoned and tortured [3] by the government of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and convicted as part of the Hyderabad tribunal for 15 years.[4] Released in 1978, he stayed away from electoral politics till 1990..

Asfandyar Wali Khan served as leader of the Pakhtun Student Federation prior to being elected to the provincial Assembly in the 1990 election, while in the 1993 election he was elected to Pakistan's National Assembly. A seat to which he was re-elected to the National Assembly in the 1997 election and served as Parliamentary leader of the ANP and Chairman of the standing committee on inter-provincial co-ordination.

In 1999, he was elected party president for the first time. He was defeated in the 2002 election, in what was a repeat of his father's defeat in 1990, when a tactical alliance was formed by all the anti-ANP groups against him. After his defeat he resigned as President of his party, only to be re-elected unopposed in the subsequent party election. In 2003 he was elected to the Senate for a 6-year term. He was re-elected to the National Assembly in the parliamentary elections that was held on February 2008, leading his party to power both provincially and nationally, the former for the first time since 1947 and the latter since 1997.[5]

In September 2008, he was elected as Chairman of the standing committee on foreign Affairs.[6]

In 2008 it was reported by Dawn that he made a secret visit to the United States in which he made high level contacts with the U.S Central Command.[7]

Assassination attempt

On 3 October 2008, he was targeted by a suicide bomber who attempted to kill him while he was greeting guests during Eid ul-Fitr.[8][9] Shortly after the attack, Asfandyar Wali Khan left Charsadda in a helicopter sent by the Prime Minister.

References
  1. "Two ex-PMs among top politicians who have not personal car". thenews.com.pk. 27 June 2018.
  2. "Awami National Party website". Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2008.
  3. Hayat Sherpao Khan the murder.Finally,nothing was proved against him. Archived 17 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 28 March 2008
  4. Cowasjee, Ardeshir (21 June 1997) Murtaza's murder. The Dawn. The DAWN Group. Available online at . Also see Cowasjee (25 April 1996) Old Hat. The Dawn. The DAWN group
  5. Asfandyar facing opposition from family Archived 18 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Asfandyar Wali elected Chairman Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Archived 28 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine APP, Retrieved 9-17-08
  7. US silent on visit of Asfandyar
  8. Asfandyar unfazed after suicide attack DAWN 4 October 2008
  9. Retrieved October 4, 2008
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