Begum Naseem Wali Khan passes away
News Desk:
Prominent Pashtoon nationalist leader, Begum Naseem Wali Khan breathed her last on Sunday. The deceased was suffering from diabetes and heart ailments, said the family sources.
She was the wife of veteran Pashtoon nationalist leader, Khan Abdul Wali Khan. She had served as the provincial president of Awami National Party (ANP) Kyber Pukhtoonkhwa.
Begum Naseem Wali Khan was elected as a member national assembly and three times as a member provincial assembly. Despite social and tribal taboos, Begum Naseem Wali Khan played a key role in the politics of the country.
She was the first woman legislator to be elected as a member of the parliament in 1977 during general elections. Begum Naseem Wali Khan started practical political activities when Khan Abdul Wali Khan was arrested under the Hyderabad conspiracy case.
In 2012, she announced her return to practical politics
In January 2012, after an absence of around seven years, she announced her return to practical politics on recovery from the emotional trauma of her husband and son’s sudden deaths.
Later, Begum Naseem, who had an already tense relationship with current ANP President Asfandyar Wali Khan, developed differences with the ANP leadership owing to political reasons that resulted in her parting ways with the party and formation of Awami National Party-Wali (ANP-W).
In 2017, however, Asfandyar and Begum Naseem reconciled and the latter announced a merger of her faction ANP-W with the ANP.
