Iron lady Begum Naseem Wali Khan dies in Charsadda

Senior Awami National Party leader Begum Naseer Wali Khan has died of cardiac and diabetes complications. She was being treated at her home in Charsadda.

The funeral will be held at 6pm today at Wali Bagh, Charsadda.

Begum Wali was the widow of veteran ANP leader Abdul Wali Khan, and the first woman to be elected to the frontier provincial assembly in 1977. She was elected on a general seat. She served as a provincial and a parliamentary leader for the party, and was elected to the provincial assembly three times.

She was the mother of Sangeen Wali and Asfandyar Wali.

Begum Wali joined politics in 1975, after her husband, who was a Pushtoon nationalist, was arrested and his party National Awami Party banned by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. She took over the party, and successfully campaigned for Wali Khan's release.

Begum Wali became a senior leader of the party after ANP was established in 1986. She was known for supporting political participation of women.

She started her own party ANP (Wali) in 2014 due to political differences.

ANP has announced a three-day mourning, and suspended party activities. President Arif Alvi has also expressed his condolences.