Former Awami National Party (ANP) leader and Bajaur agency member of the National Assembly (MNA) Shahabuddin Khan joined the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) on Friday. The ANP expelled Shahab last month for not joining other opposition MNAs in their en bloc resignations to block President General Pervez Musharraf’s re-election. Shahab told Daily Times that his party expelled him without giving him any notice. Shahab said he was the first MNA who submitted his resignation on September 23 to the party headquarters at Bacha Khan Markaz in Peshawar. He said the ANP headquarters did not forward his resignation to the party leadership. The MNA said he announced his joining the PML at his residence in the presence of PML NWFP President Amir Muqam, General Secretary Mushtaq Ghani, and members of the provincial assembly (MPAs) Saeed Khan and Nighat Orakzai. “I’ll contest the general elections from Bajaur agency as an independent candidate because political activities are not allowed in the tribal areas,” he said. Shahab won NA-44 by-election in January 2007 after Jamat-e-Islami MNA Sahibzada Haroonur Rashid had resigned from the seat protesting against the US bombing at a Bajaur agency madrassa that killed 83 people. **Separately, the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) decided on Friday to issue a show-cause notice to its MPA Mian Nisar Gul to explain why he did not resign from the provincial assembly. **
Re: ANP member supports Musharraf, PTI member refuses to resign
Well, they want to join the part of criminal forgivers, so why abstain… all their sins are being washed… here they have opportunity to do loot khasoot buffet and getting away with it, so why not
ISLAMABAD - Three legislators of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Saturday cast their votes in the presidential election violating the joint decision of the APDM & MMA to block the poll by tendering resignations. Those who cast their votes included JUI-S MNA, Hakeem Qari Gul Rehman, MNA Maulana Khalil-ur-Rehman and Senator Hafiz Rashid Ahmed. While MNA Shahabuddin Khan who recently defected from the ANP and joined the ruling PML also cast his vote in favour of General Pervez Musharraf. Talking to the media persons after casting his vote in the Parliament House, Qari Gul Rehman said, “I have cast my vote as a protest against the MMA decisions”, which he termed the decisions of two persons, Fazlur Rehman and Qazi Hussain Ahmed. Rehman,however, kept it secret as to whom he cast his vote. He said that he had not tendered his resignation from the National Assembly and was acting upon the voice of his conscience. He said that being an important ally in the alliance, he was not taken into confidence in any important decision despite he had many reservations over many issues. “I am not the member of the APDM and I did not tender my resignation as it was the decision of the APDM”, he added. To a question he said that he would tell all the truth at a press conference soon. Interior Minister, Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao confirmed the participation of the other two MMA’s lawmakers, Maulana Khalil-ur-Rehman and Hafiz Rashid Ahmed in the presidential poll. However, both of them were not available to get their version.
