Ajmal Khattak - President of ANP

President of ANP

In the 1993 general elections, Ajmal Khattak lost his reelection bid in Nowshera to the PPP candidate Major General Naseerullah Babar. As a leading critic of the PPP, it was important for the ANP - IJI alliance to have Ajmal Khattak in parliament, and he was therefore nominated to the Senate of Pakistan in March 1994. His two terms as President of the Awami National Party were noted primarily for the close alliance with former opponents, the Muslim League, after the alliance collapsed in January 1998 over the renaming of the province of NWFP to Pakthunkhwa and Khattak role in leading the Awami National party briefly into joining an alliance known as the Pakistan Oppressed Nations Movement (PONM). The decision to join PONM was made despite strong pressure from party critics who preferred the ANP to ally themselves with a Federal party like the Peoples Party. Eventually, Khattak succumbed to party pressure and the Awami National Party left PONM joining the Grand Democratic Alliance which included the Pakistan Peoples Party.

He was ousted as ANP President in 2000, after a protracted power struggle with Nasim Wali Khan, wife of Khan Abdul Wali Khan, triggered by accusations of his closeness to Pervez Musharraf and his criticism of corrupt politicians in a press conference. Deciding to leave the party he briefly led a splinter group called National Awami Party of Pakistan. His Party was routed in the 2002 general elections amidst the religio-political parties alliance, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), sweep of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. After the shock victory of the MMA, he rejoined the Awami National Party after efforts by Khan Wali Khan. He retired from active politics in 2003 and was given the title of party patron in Chief.