Although the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is yet to finalise the name for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chief minister, former provincial chief Pervez Khattak has set his eyes on the top slot again.
Reports suggest that the former chief minister is locked in a battle with senior party’s leadership, with PM-in-waiting Imran Khan trying relentlessly to convince Khattak to clear the way for former KP education minister Atif Khan. However, he (Khattak) is insisting on becoming the provincial head again.
All four enjoy a strong lobby within the party. However, Khattak claims the support of 55, out of the party’s total 65 MPAs in the province.
Bani Gala seems to have decided on Atif Khan, but Khattak’s clear and loud refusal to step aside made the leadership back down.
Talking to a private television channel, Khattak said that he had conveyed to the party leadership that he would not join the federal cabinet. “The party has a huge mandate in the country just because of my performance in KP,” he added.
He further said that Asad Umer and Jehangir Tareen also tried to convince him to leave KP, but he did not agree. “They have offered the post of president, speaker of the National Assembly and all of the important ministries but none of these suits me.”
Khattak stressed that he would remain in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa because his people and almost all of the elected MPAs want him to serve in the province. “I have conveyed to the party that I will go home and will not take part in the politics as well as the party affairs if my right of choice is denied.”
Published in Daily Times, July 31st 2018.
