PESHAWAR: Fourteen members of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in the KP assembly have raised a banner of revolt against policies of their own government in the province and formed a separate faction.
Qurban Ali Khan, the self-declared ‘focal person’ of the group, has claimed that a few other lawmakers are likely to join the ranks of dissidents. He declined to disclose the lawmakers’ names.
“At present 14 lawmakers have formed a bloc and some others will join them in two or three days,” he said while talking to Dawn at the MPAs Hostel here on Tuesday.
He was accompanied by Javed Nasim from Peshawar, who a few months ago had submitted an application to the speaker seeking a separate seat in the assembly.
Without naming Chief Minister Pervez Khattak or any other senior leader of the party, Qurban Ali Khan said that incapable people had been inducted into the cabinet and accused them of being involved in irregularities.
“Some people are trying to hijack the vision of Chairman Imran Khan,” he said and accused the party’s provincial leadership of having deviated from the PTI’s manifesto.
He severely criticised the policies of the KP government and said the party chief had been kept in the dark and he might not be aware of wrongdoings of provincial leaders.
He claimed that he had never tried to become a minister and his associates also were not agitating for power and position. “We did not join the PTI to become ministers or advisers. Our objective is to protect the party’s interest.”
Qurban Ali Khan, who had left the PPP before last year’s general elections, was elected to the assembly on a PTI ticket from PK-16 Nowshera. Sources said the estranged MPAs held meetings on Monday and Tuesday to work out their line of action.The PTI has 54 members in the assembly.
Sources said the recent induction into the cabinet of new members, particularly legislators from Hazara division who had joined the party after the elections, and the award of important portfolios to coalition partners had created a rift within the party.
Shahram Khan Tarki of the Awami Jamhuri Itehad Pakistan (AJIP) was given the portfolio of health and Qalandar Khan Lodhi and Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani, who had joined the PTI after elections, were initially appointed adviser and special assistant to the chief minister and now made ministers.
“Health and education formed the backbone of the PTI manifesto. If the health sector has been given to the AJIP nothing worthwhile is left with the PTI,” said a member of the bloc. He alleged that important portfolios and positions had been given to ‘inefficient and dishonest’ people.
Qurban Ali said the disgruntled lawmakers did not want to form a forward bloc or join the opposition, although they had been approached by opposition parties.
“Our aim is to restore the image of the party and expose opportunist and corrupt elements.”
He said the issues would be brought to the knowledge of Imran Khan and “if action is not taken against opportunists we will have no option but to resign”.
Earlier, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak told newsmen at the Governor House that he was unaware of any move to form a forward bloc in the party. He said it was an internal problem of the party which would be solved.