History
The NAP was founded in Dhaka in erstwhile East Pakistan in July 1957 through the merger of several leftist and progressive groups.
The constituent parties in 1957 and their areas of influence were:
- Azad Pakistan Party a party led by Mian Iftikharuddin, Syed Kaswar Gardezi and Mahmud Ali Kasuri.
- Sindh Mahaz led by G. M. Syed and Sheikh Abdul Majid Sindhi.
- Sindh Hari Committee led by Haider Bakhsh Jatoi.
- Wrore Pukhtun (Pukhtun Brotherhood) a Balochistan-based party led by Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai and Hashim Khan Ghilzai.
- Usthman Gul (Awam Jamaat) of Balochistan led by Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo, Gul Khan Nasir and Prince Karim Khan of Kalat (princely state).
- Khudai Khidmatgar from North-West Frontier Province led by Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Hakeem Mohammad Aslam Sanjari. Ghaffar Khan's son, Khan Abdul Wali Khan, also joined the party.
- Ganatantri Dal an East Bengali party led by Haji Mohammad Danesh of Dinajpur and Mahmud Ali of Sylhet.
The party President was Maulana Bhashani and the Secretary General was Mahmudul Huq Usmani. Afzal Bangash was the NAP's General Secretary in NWFP. Mirza Mehdy Ispahani (a.k.a.) Sadri Ispahani was the treasurer.
The National Awami Party was along with the Awami League expected to easily win the 1959 planned general elections. Its primary target was the disbanding of the One Unit scheme in West Pakistan and a fair deal for the increasingly discontented people of East Pakistan.
Read more about this topic: National Awami Party
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