Amid assurances: Imran pledges to address concerns of disgruntled lawmakers
They meet PTI chief to discuss govt activities
“We hope that our reservations will be resolved, as assured by the party chief. Otherwise, we will soon announce future plan of action,” Khalil concluded. PHOTO: REUTERS
PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairperson Imran Khan sought to placate a group of the party’s disgruntled lawmakers who felt short-changed by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak.
He held a two-and-a-half-hour meeting at his residence in Bani Gala, Islamabad on Saturday. Five MNAs and seven MPAs aimed to ease tensions and avoid fissures within the party.
Earlier, these legislators announced to form a forward bloc against Khattak over a variety of reasons. These included the non-implementation of party’s manifesto in letter and spirit and prevailing corruption in the province.
“The PTI chief carefully listened to our reservations and apprehensions primarily related to administration of the province and penned it in his personal diary,” said MPA Yasin Khalil, one of the members of the disgruntled faction. “We have reposed full confidence in leadership of Imran Khan.”
He said Imran would hold a meeting with the CM on Monday.
“On Friday, Imran will meet us again in the presence of Khattak,” he added.
Looking ahead
Following the meeting, PTI Spokesperson Naeemul Haque said there exists no forward bloc in the party and that reservations of some of the party members would be addressed accordingly.
Disgruntled members included MNAs Dawar Khan Kundi, Colonel (retd) Amirullah Marwat, Sajid Nawaz Khan and Junaid Akbar and MPAs Yaseen Khan Khalil, Qurban Ali Khan, Amjad Khan Afridi, Shakil Khan, Jamshed Mohmand, Babar Saleem and Abdul Haq Khan. Meanwhile, provincial presidents of Insaf Students Federation also accompanied the members.
Before the meeting, Khalil told The Express Tribune they submitted their demands to Imran before the Tehreek-e-Ehtesab movement was initiated.
Khalil said the PTI chief accepted the validity of their reservations.
He said Imran was informed about corrupt practices of some of the party’s local representatives in connivance with provincial government officials. He said this was in stark violation of the party’s ongoing accountability movement against corrupt politicians.
Khalil said concerns related to the corrupt practices of Aftab Sherpao-led Qaumi Watan Party and Jamaat-e-Islami also came under discussion.
Khalil said discrimination among MPAs and MNAs while doling out development funds in the first three years of the PTI-led provincial government was also discussed. Currently, the funds are not given to the parliamentarians and provincial assembly members but to local government representatives.
“We hope that our reservations will be resolved, as assured by the party chief. Otherwise, we will soon announce future plan of action,” Khalil concluded.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 21st, 2016.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairperson Imran Khan sought to placate a group of the party’s disgruntled lawmakers who felt short-changed by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak.
He held a two-and-a-half-hour meeting at his residence in Bani Gala, Islamabad on Saturday. Five MNAs and seven MPAs aimed to ease tensions and avoid fissures within the party.
Earlier, these legislators announced to form a forward bloc against Khattak over a variety of reasons. These included the non-implementation of party’s manifesto in letter and spirit and prevailing corruption in the province.
“The PTI chief carefully listened to our reservations and apprehensions primarily related to administration of the province and penned it in his personal diary,” said MPA Yasin Khalil, one of the members of the disgruntled faction. “We have reposed full confidence in leadership of Imran Khan.”
He said Imran would hold a meeting with the CM on Monday.
“On Friday, Imran will meet us again in the presence of Khattak,” he added.
Looking ahead
Following the meeting, PTI Spokesperson Naeemul Haque said there exists no forward bloc in the party and that reservations of some of the party members would be addressed accordingly.
Disgruntled members included MNAs Dawar Khan Kundi, Colonel (retd) Amirullah Marwat, Sajid Nawaz Khan and Junaid Akbar and MPAs Yaseen Khan Khalil, Qurban Ali Khan, Amjad Khan Afridi, Shakil Khan, Jamshed Mohmand, Babar Saleem and Abdul Haq Khan. Meanwhile, provincial presidents of Insaf Students Federation also accompanied the members.
Before the meeting, Khalil told The Express Tribune they submitted their demands to Imran before the Tehreek-e-Ehtesab movement was initiated.
Khalil said the PTI chief accepted the validity of their reservations.
He said Imran was informed about corrupt practices of some of the party’s local representatives in connivance with provincial government officials. He said this was in stark violation of the party’s ongoing accountability movement against corrupt politicians.
Khalil said concerns related to the corrupt practices of Aftab Sherpao-led Qaumi Watan Party and Jamaat-e-Islami also came under discussion.
Khalil said discrimination among MPAs and MNAs while doling out development funds in the first three years of the PTI-led provincial government was also discussed. Currently, the funds are not given to the parliamentarians and provincial assembly members but to local government representatives.
“We hope that our reservations will be resolved, as assured by the party chief. Otherwise, we will soon announce future plan of action,” Khalil concluded.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 21st, 2016.