Senior leader of Awami National Party (ANP), Begum Naseem Wali Khan, passed away on Sunday and was laid to rest in Charsadda.
Begum Naseem had been a cardiac and diabetes patient since long. She was daughter-in-law of ANP founder Bacha Khan, wife of Khan Abdul Wali Khan and mother of ANP President Asfandyar Wali Khan.
The senior leader remained a member of the National Assembly. She also remained a member of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s provincial assembly three times. Her funeral prayer was offered at 06:00 pm in the evening at Wali Bagh.
Following her demise, the ANP announced three days of mourning in the province. “The party’s political activities across the province will be suspended and the party’s flag will be flown at half mast,” said the incumbent ANP provincial president, Aimal Wali Khan.
“Begum Naseem Wali Khan was another name for the politics of resistance,” he maintained. The ANP president added that Begum Naseem’s role in women’s participation in politics is a shining chapter in history.
“The difficult circumstances in which she ran the party are unprecedented,” he said, adding that, “The void created by her death in the country’s politics will hardly be filled.”
Condolences started to pour in following the death of the party stalwart. President Dr Arif Alvi has expressed grief and sorrow over the death of the ANP leader.
In his condolence message, he said that Begum Naseem’s services in the political arena will be remembered. Commiserating with the bereaved family, he prayed for the departed soul.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa expressed condolences over the sad demise of Begum Naseem. In a tweet, he prayed to Allah Almighty to bless the departed soul in eternal peace and give solace to the bereaved family.
KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan also expressed sorrow over the death of the late ANP leader. The CM further extended his condolences and sympathy to the family.
“May Allah forgive her and give the bereaved the strength to bear this trauma,” the provincial chief minister said.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif also posted his condolences on his official Twitter handle. “Saddened by the news of Begum Nasim Wali Khan’s death,” stated the leader of the opposition. “Her services for empowerment of women will be remembered for a long time,” he added.
Furthermore, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser also expressed grief over Begum Naseem’s death and extended his condolences to the bereaved family. Qaiser prayed for Begum Naseem’s soul to attain a high rank in paradise and patience for her family.
Adding to the list, former president Asif Ali Zardari also conveyed his sorrow over the tragic loss. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairperson remembered Begum Naseem as a brave politician and lauded her role in the 1983 Movement for the Restoration of Democracy or the MRD Movement. Zardari further extended his condolences to the family and prayed for the departed soul.
