Slain PTI leader's son accuses CM Khattak, K-P assembly of making a deal with prime suspect

Baldev Kumar has been called for an oath-taking ceremony as member of the provincial assembly on a minority seat

PESHAWAR: The son of murdered Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Sardar Soran Singh has expressed dismay on the order passed by Speaker Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Asad Qaiser for the production of PTI’s Baldev Kumar, prime suspect in the killing.

Ajay Singh posted a video on social media on Saturday, questioning K-P Assembly’s February 23 decision to summon Kumar for oath-taking ceremony as member of the provincial assembly on a minority seat.

Pointing out that Singh was a worker of PTI, Ajay further alleged that K-P Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and K-P speaker assembly had made a deal with Kumar for a vote in the upcoming Senate elections.  He urged that Kumar should not be allowed to take oath as MPA since he is currently under trial in an Anti-Terrorism Court for the Singh's murder.

In the video, Ajay asked why the assembly had not approached Supreme Court (SC) against the accused.

Special Assistant to CM Khattak on Minority Affairs Singh was shot dead by armed attackers in Buner on April 22, 2016. Singh was a popular figure in the area and elected as district nazim on a Jamaat-e-Islami ticket. He ultimately joined the PTI and was a member of the party till his untimely death.



K-P police arrested Kumar over orchestrating the murder of his own party’s lawmaker. According to DIG Malakand Azad Khan, Kumar wanted to contest elections but he could not secure a party ticket which created a dispute between them and led him to hire paid assassins for the MPA’s murder.

“Call data of two accused Mukhtar and Behroz, who allegedly carried out the murder on a promise of a financial reward, shows that the suspects were present in the same locality where Singh was murdered,” said DIG Malakand.

It is pertinent to note that the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan had claimed responsibility for Singh’s killing. The claim, however, was rebuffed by the K-P police. “TTP’s claim of responsibility for Singh’s murder is incorrect as the accused have already confessed to the killing which was a result of a political rivalry between the lawmakers of the same political party.”