Begum Naseem Wali Khan passes away
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Veteran politician of Awami National Party and widow of late president of ANP Khan Abdul Wali Khan, Begum Naseem Wali Khan, has passed away, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Sunday.
Begum Naseem Wali Khan was suffering from diabetes and heart condition. She was 85.
Begum Naseem was elected as a member of the National Assembly once and a member of the provincial assembly thrice.
رہبر تحریک خان عبدالولی خان کی شریک حیات (بیوہ) اور عوامی نیشنل پارٹی کی سابق صوبائی صدر بیگم نسیم ولی خان بقضائے الہی وفات پاگئی ہے۔ انکی نمازجنازہ آج شام چھ بجے ولی باغ چارسدہ میں ادا کی جائیگی۔ انا للّٰہ و انا الیہ راجعون pic.twitter.com/TK1CbiEWQr
— Awami National Party (@ANPMarkaz) May 16, 2021
She was the first woman politician who was elected as a member of the parliament in Pakistan.
Her funeral prayers will be held at 6pm at Wali Bagh today, Charsadda, read a statement issued by the party.
Begum Naseem Wali was born on Jan 24, 1936 in Mardan Par Hoti. Her father Ameer Mohammad Khan Hoti, who was grandfather of former KP chief minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti, was an important member of Khudai Khidmatgar Tehreek. She got married to Abdul Wali Khan in 1954. She was his second wife.
Begum Wali started her political life in 1975 when then prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto not only incarcerated her husband Wali Khan but also banned the ANP. She took reins of the party at the time when Bhutto put the first and second cadres of ANP leadership in jail in Hyderabad Tribunal case. After taking reins of the ANP, she not only filled the political void but also fought against this so-called case against ANP leaders. It was due to her struggle that the Hyderabad case was quashed and all nominated suspects were released honorably.
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After her debut in the politics with the start of Hyderabad conspiracy case, she dispelled the common notion prevalent in the Pashtoon culture that only men could lead people in political affairs. During this period, she founded National Democratic Party for which she held discussions with then jailed leaders Abdul Wali and Sherbaz Mazari. It was because of this movement that the incarcerated ANP leaders got released. She organized party workers through this movement.
She won both Charsadda and Mardan national assembly seats (NA 4 and NA 8) in 1977 elections. She could not take oath as member of national assembly because at that time the movement of NDP was in full swing and martial law was imposed.
Saddened by the news of Begum Nasim Wali Khan's death. She took an active part in politics & was the first woman to get elected on a general seat from KP. Her services for empowerment of women will be remembered for a long time. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family!
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) May 16, 2021
When ANP was founded in 1986, Abdul Wali Khan was elected its central president and Afzal Khan Lala as provincial president. She became ANP president for the first time in 1994. And she was once again elected as provincial president in 1998.
Begum Wali took part in parliamentary elections in 1988 and won Charsadda PF 13 seat and elected as member KP provincial assembly. She regained PF 13 seat in 1990 elections and elected as member KP assembly after winning PF 15 seat in 1993 elections. Again she got Charsadda’s PF 15 seat and elected member KP assembly in 1997 polls.
Four times she remained provincial parliamentary leader of ANP. She was also elected as opposition leader in NWFP (KP) assembly from 1990 to 1997.
Naseem Wali Khan married Khan Abdul Wali Khan in 1954. She was the mother of Sangeen Wali Khan (late), and Dr Gulalai Wali Khan as well as the stepmother of Asfandyar Wali Khan.
Reporter Azmat Ali Shah