PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party (ANP) Tuesday served a show-cause notice on former federal minister Khwaja Mohammad Khan Hoti, asking him to reply within 10 days otherwise disciplinary action would be taken against him for violating the party constitution.
Khwaja Mohammad Khan Hoti, who was elected on the ANP ticket from NA-9 (Mardan) in 2008 general elections, was inducted into the federal cabinet as minister for social welfare and then minister for narcotics control on the ANP quota.
However, he tendered resignation from the federal cabinet in protest against party policies and negligence in the development works on the part of NWFP government in his constituency.
Khwaja Hoti, who also served as central vice president of the ANP, also blamed the ANP-led government for not fulfilling its promise regarding the restoration of peace in Swat and other parts of the province. According to reliable sources, ANP Provincial Secretary Information Arbab Tahir Khan would convey the text of show-cause notice, issued by ANP Provincial President Afrasiyab Khattak on Tuesday evening, to the ANP MNA today (Wednesday).
It says: “Without taking into confidence you (Khwaja Mohammad Khan Hoti) have resigned from the federal cabinet and hurled baseless accusations on the party, which elected you to the National Assembly.”
The ANP MNA was asked to explain his position within 10 days otherwise disciplinary action would be taken against him.Because of having no graduation degree, the Nawab of Hoti, who served as a provincial education minister from 1993 to 1996 in the then PPP government, did not contest general elections in 2002. After developing differences with the-then PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto, he resigned as the provincial president of the party and formed his own faction of the PPP-Hoti.
After obtaining bachelor degree from Sindh University, he was able to contest 2008 general elections on the ANP ticket and won. He was inducted as federal minister for social welfare in Yousuf Raza Gilani-led cabinet.
However, he was not happy with the ministry and stopped attending the office in protest against the nomination of Zamurad Khan as chairman of Pakistan Baitul Maal. On the ANP recommendation, Khwaja Hoti was given the Ministry of Narcotics Control.
Khwaja Hoti blamed NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti and his father Azam Khan Hoti for corruption and alleged irregularities in Mardan where Nawabzada’s family had political rivalry with Azam Khan’s family.
When contacted on phone, Khwaja Hoti expressed ignorance about the show-cause notice and said whenever he would get any such notice, only then he would be in a position to offer any comment.
