Notes on a dinner: Khattak’s visit to JUI-F MPA raises questions

SHABQADAR:

Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, PTI chief organiser for K-P and K-P Assembly speaker visited Charsadda on the dinner invitation of JUI-F MPA Fazal Shakoor Khan Thursday night.

Many believe since PTI former senior vice president Mian Mukaram Shah joined JUI-F during a ceremony where JUI-F Central General Secretary and Senate Deputy Chairman Abdul Ghafoor Haidery was the chief guest, Khattak is taking revenge at the dinner by showing the possible bond between Shakoor and PTI. They have termed the chief minister’s visit a setback to JUI-F in Charsadda, which won an MPA and MNA seat from the district in 2013 general elections.

Although Shakoor said he will remain part of JUI-F and has only invited Khattak since he knows him in a personal capacity, insiders familiar with the matter told The Express Tribune Shakoor was unhappy with Charsadda JUI-F leadership and has quit the party informally.

Insiders, requesting anonymity, said after winning Charsadda seats of the provincial assembly and national assembly, Shakoor Khan and MNA Gauhar Shah, were sidelined by JUI-F provincial and district chapters. Shah who remained JUI-F chapter ameer for the past decade was defeated by Maulana Hashim Khan in intraparty elections by two votes. When he challenged this at the provincial and central level, an influential group favoured Hashim Khan. Gauhar and Shakoor were also ignored by the district chapter in the recent LG elections.

Replay

According to the insiders, the chief minister and speaker revealed Shakoor is willing to join PTI. One analyst added that in the past, Shakoor was in Awami National Party and joined JUI-F informally during ANP’s last few days in government. When the ANP government completed its tenure, he quit and joined JUI-F.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 5^th,  2015.