Farid Toofan Blames Invisible Forces

Kashmir Khan Afridi

Publishing Date: Thursday, March 3 2005

Former provincial minister and ANP leader Farid Toofan, whose general secretary ship has caused rift in the party, Wednesday blamed invisible hands for the crisis in the nationalist party, saying, "the rulers consider ANP as the toughest hurdle in the construction of Kalabagh dam that's why they are bent upon creating rifts in the party". Toofan hit headlines when four top office-bearers of the provincial cabinet resigned as protest against his alleged indifferent attitude with party colleagues some days back.

The four resigning stalwarts were followed by three other members, which further worsened the crisis. "President Musharraf is bent upon constructing the Kalabagh dam for which he needs to divide the political forces of the province, particularly ANP, which has been proved as the toughest resister. For this purpose, he will use every possible option and I am sure that there are some invisible forces behind it," he observed while addressing a crowded news conference at Peshawar Press Club.

Farid Toofan reading show-cause notice to Journalists in Peshawar Press Club

Toofan, on this occasion also read out the show cause notice issued to him for violating party discipline and the five pages reply, which he has submitted to the central president. In his reply, Toofan has denied all the allegations levelled against him. The party leadership had accused him of creating rifts within the party, levelling allegations against party's leadership, embezzlement in party's funds, not informing senior leaders regarding PkSF's gathering in Bacha Khan Markaz, floating negative propaganda against central president and that provincial office bearers had alleged him for indifferent behaviour.

Justifying his stance he said, "I had never criticised party leadership on any public platform but only on party's forum. Keeping difference in opinion and criticising anyone is my right and I will use it," he added. He expressed complete ignorance regarding embezzlement in party funds and said, "Being general secretary, I had nothing to do with it. It was the headache of finance secretary," he said and added most of the funds were deposited in the personal account of provincial senior vice president Syed Aqil Shah. He further said the high-ups of the party were well aware of the PkSF gathering that held to observe Bacha Khan death anniversary.

Commenting on his membership suspension by the party central president, he said, "without the approval of party's central committee, no one can expel me of the party and even after membership suspension, I can possess the office of provincial general secretary, as it is mentioned in "the party constitution". However, later he prayed not to be ousted from the party. "My removal will show there is no room for poor in ANP" he opined while calling himself as 'poor' and opponents as influential and powerful.

To a question, Toofan said he had resigned twice from the office of provincial minister on the directives of his leaders. "I will resign at the very moment my leader, Begum Nasim Wali Khan asks me to do so," he added. He also ruled out creating a splinter group in ANP saying, "I haven't contacted any other leader, so how I can make another party".

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