Disgruntled PTI lawmakers refuse to meet K-P CM
Say they demand budgetary allocations from Khattak, other matters with Imran
The leader wanted to see intra-party elections immediately and the PTI members be taken into confidence over the selection of the interim setup. PHOTO: FILE
PESHAWAR:
Disgruntled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmakers refused to meet Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and decided they will not speak to anyone but party chief Imran Khan about their grievances.
Imran had asked Khattak to persuade disgruntled PTI MPAs and address their reservations over budget allocations. However, the party members said on Sunday that they refused to meet the chief minister.
Disappointed: CM Khattak flays Centre for not including K-P in CPEC
Speaking to The Express Tribune, a PTI lawmaker, requesting anonymity, said these MPAs decided not to discuss the matter with the chief minister as they had grievances against him.
He said the chief minister had tasked K-P Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi to convince the agitated lawmakers to join the negotiation table.
He added Imran had a busy schedule and asked for a day or two’s time for a meeting.
The lawmakers decided on a charter of demands which would be presented to the PTI chief in the meeting. They hoped he would hear out their grievances and address all demands, the lawmaker said.
Charter of demands
A list of 11 demands, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, asked for proper implementation of the party manifesto. It pointed out accountability, local government, merit and good governance were top priorities.
As per the demands, there was a complete difference in the party’s ideology and the provincial government’s priorities. The list stated the party’s popularity graph was declining by the day and workers, members and voters were unhappy over the performance. The lawmakers said the chief minister should resign otherwise party leaders would take action against him.
The third demand was to assure equal distribution of the provincial government’s development funds and take action against those who divided money based on prejudice and nepotism.
PTI needs new strategies to overcome shortcomings
The fourth demand was that the government should not give priority in development funds to other parties. They asked for the irrigation department’s funds to be slashed and 50% of the amount be given to the education and health sectors.
The MPAs asked Imran to take notice of a press conference in which PTI leader and district president, Zahoor Khan, joined the Qaumi Watan Party. They also stated that QWP MPA Bakhat Baidar should withdraw his case at the Peshawar High Court against the PTI chairperson.
The party leaders asked for action against those MPAs who appointed their associates to different departments from 2013 onwards on the basis of nepotism. They claimed all parliamentary secretaries’ posts in the K-P government were filled on “political bribes” and went against the PTI’s motto. These individuals demanded all parliamentary secretaries be removed. The list also alleged that 876 posts were filled illegally by the adviser on prisons and asked that the official be removed from his post.
They also called for action against those declared corrupt by a NAB commission such as Anti-Corruption Establishment former director Ziaullah Toru, Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization Board of Directors former chairperson Shakeel Durrani and the ex-managing director of Bank of Khyber.
The leader wanted to see intra-party elections immediately and the PTI members be taken into confidence over the selection of the interim setup.
In his briefing to the journalists on Saturday, Khattak said the issues of disgruntled lawmakers would be resolved very soon. He refused to give details on this matter, but said the internal affair would be sorted out through mutual discussion.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 25th, 2016.
Disgruntled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmakers refused to meet Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and decided they will not speak to anyone but party chief Imran Khan about their grievances.
Imran had asked Khattak to persuade disgruntled PTI MPAs and address their reservations over budget allocations. However, the party members said on Sunday that they refused to meet the chief minister.
Disappointed: CM Khattak flays Centre for not including K-P in CPEC
Speaking to The Express Tribune, a PTI lawmaker, requesting anonymity, said these MPAs decided not to discuss the matter with the chief minister as they had grievances against him.
He said the chief minister had tasked K-P Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi to convince the agitated lawmakers to join the negotiation table.
He added Imran had a busy schedule and asked for a day or two’s time for a meeting.
The lawmakers decided on a charter of demands which would be presented to the PTI chief in the meeting. They hoped he would hear out their grievances and address all demands, the lawmaker said.
Charter of demands
A list of 11 demands, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, asked for proper implementation of the party manifesto. It pointed out accountability, local government, merit and good governance were top priorities.
As per the demands, there was a complete difference in the party’s ideology and the provincial government’s priorities. The list stated the party’s popularity graph was declining by the day and workers, members and voters were unhappy over the performance. The lawmakers said the chief minister should resign otherwise party leaders would take action against him.
The third demand was to assure equal distribution of the provincial government’s development funds and take action against those who divided money based on prejudice and nepotism.
PTI needs new strategies to overcome shortcomings
The fourth demand was that the government should not give priority in development funds to other parties. They asked for the irrigation department’s funds to be slashed and 50% of the amount be given to the education and health sectors.
The MPAs asked Imran to take notice of a press conference in which PTI leader and district president, Zahoor Khan, joined the Qaumi Watan Party. They also stated that QWP MPA Bakhat Baidar should withdraw his case at the Peshawar High Court against the PTI chairperson.
The party leaders asked for action against those MPAs who appointed their associates to different departments from 2013 onwards on the basis of nepotism. They claimed all parliamentary secretaries’ posts in the K-P government were filled on “political bribes” and went against the PTI’s motto. These individuals demanded all parliamentary secretaries be removed. The list also alleged that 876 posts were filled illegally by the adviser on prisons and asked that the official be removed from his post.
They also called for action against those declared corrupt by a NAB commission such as Anti-Corruption Establishment former director Ziaullah Toru, Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization Board of Directors former chairperson Shakeel Durrani and the ex-managing director of Bank of Khyber.
The leader wanted to see intra-party elections immediately and the PTI members be taken into confidence over the selection of the interim setup.
In his briefing to the journalists on Saturday, Khattak said the issues of disgruntled lawmakers would be resolved very soon. He refused to give details on this matter, but said the internal affair would be sorted out through mutual discussion.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 25th, 2016.