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  • ANP threatens to part ways with federal govt if by-elections further postponed

    Aimal Wali Khan File Photo Aimal Wali Khan

    Expressing its annoyance over a letter to the ECP seeking a delay in upcoming by-elections, the Awami National Party (ANP) one of the parties part of the ruling alliance at the centre threatened to quit the coalition government if the by-polls scheduled to be held on October 16 are further postponed.

    The development comes a day after the federal government asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to delay the upcoming by-election, as a "political party" was planning to "besiege" the capital later this month.

    The by-elections were originally scheduled to be held in September, but the ECP put them off, citing the unavailability of security personnel in the wake of catastrophic floods that have left over 1,700 dead.

    Taking to Twitter, ANP Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Aimal Wali Khan said that his party has communicated to the Shehbaz Sharif-led government that if by-elections are further postponed, then his party will not only withdraw from by-elections but also leave the alliance that has formed the government at the centre.

    "ANP would withdraw from the election and will be quitting the alliance. We won’t let the RBM run away this time," said the ANP leader.