PTI minister arrested in K-P will have to resign: Imran

Imran Khan welcomes dialogue between Afghan Taliban and High Peace Council

ISLAMABAD: After Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) provincial minister Ziaullah Khan Afridi was arrested by the Ehtesab Commission, party chief Imran Khan said that the MPA will have to resign, Express News reported.

On Thursday, Afridi was arrested along with nine others on charges of corruption.

Imran said Afridi had done good work for the party, but regretted the arrest. The PTI chief claimed that the arrest was possible because the provincial accountability commission was independent. He added that the provincial mines and minerals minister will have to resign from his post as an inquiry takes place. However, if the commission clears him of corruption charges, he should return.

“I had promised that the provincial accountability bureau will be independent and will not differentiate between members of the opposition and the government,” he said.

Read: K-P minister, nine others arrested over corruption charges

Regarding the formation of local government in K-P, he said his party will chose an upright character for the post of Nazim (mayor), and will not compromise on it.

Commenting on the recent inclusion of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) members in PTI, Imran said the PPP was the only national party whose members were ideological but the politics of reconciliation between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and PPP had alienated them.

Meanwhile, the PTI chairman claimed that his party members will return the salaries they received for the time they were 'absent' from the National Assembly during the 126-day long sit-in in Islamabad.

He also reiterated that he will accept the special judicial commission’s verdict on the May 2013 polls.

Imran welcomes Taliban, Afghan peace talks

A day after the Afghan Taliban and the High Peace Council concluded the first round of negotiations with the promise of meeting again, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan welcomed the dialogue, claiming “it has been my stance for many years that the end decision should be taken on the table.”

“Dialogue will differentiate between sectarian terrorists, hardliners and those who resorted to extremism after the American invasion in Afghanistan,” said Imran while addressing the media after a meeting of his party in Islamabad.

“I am glad that dialogue is taking place,” he said, adding if Afghanistan becomes peaceful, it will have far reaching, positive affect on Pakistan.

Read: With the promise to meet again, Taliban, Afghan officials conclude first round of peace talks

The first officially acknowledged peace talks between the Afghan Taliban and the government in Kabul concluded with an agreement to meet again after Ramazan on July 7.