K-P chief minister, opposition leader face tough questions in assembly

Khattak urges Rahman to consult opposition parties on a name for interim CM

PESHAWAR: The under-fire provincial chief minister and opposition leader faced an embarrassing situation on Sunday in the K-P assembly when lawmakers asked them to clear their position regarding reports that Manzoor Afridi had been finalized as the caretaker chief minister of the province.

Awami National Party (ANP) parliamentary leader in the K-P assembly Sardar Hussain Babak raised the issue on Sunday, asking both Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and Leader of the Opposition in K-P Assembly Lutfur Rahman to clear their position regarding news circulating that they had agreed on a name for the position of the chief minister.

“We were expecting a technical expert to be appointed as the chief minister. But contrary to our expectations, a billionaire was selected,” Babak said. “We are hearing some scathing rumours associated with the name selected. The chief minister and the opposition leader should provide an explanation for the rumours that they have received money for finalising the name,” he alleged, adding that the Rahman had failed not consult with other parties which join him on the opposition benches in deciding on a name for the caretaker setup.

Moreover, he said that the chief minister had also kept former allies Jamaat-e-Islami in the dark over the name.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker and K-P Information Minister Shah Farman replied that Babak had no evidence to support his allegations and that he should discuss hearsay on the floor of the provincial assembly.



However, Babak found support in Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Parliamentary Leader Sardar Aurangzeb Nalota who criticised the opposition leader by claiming that after an initial contact for the names of the caretaker setup, there had been no contact or consultation by Rahman.

“We are not accusing anyone of taking money but everyone is talking about the money paid, not in millions but in billions,” Nalota said as slogans of ‘Tabdeeli’ (change) started echoing from the PML-N members’ desks.



“The caretaker government will be the base for holding free and fair elections, so both the caretaker government and the bureaucracy should be finalised with care,” Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) lawmaker Sikandar Sherpao said in his remarks.

Responding to Farman’s comment on hearsay, he said that that people learnt to talk that way from the PTI.

The exchange of words finally forced Khattak to standup, but he did not do so to offer any clarity.

“No one should accuse someone without any proof on this floor and I feel sorry for the allegations,” Khattak said adding that he knows everyone in politics very well and that those who are levelling allegations should first reflect on their own actions and those who surrounded them.

“I would still request Maulana Lutfur Rahman to consult with the opposition and I am ready for consultation with the JI,” the chief minister stated.

Rahman also expressed his disappointment over Babak’s remarks. “We have discussed it [name for caretaker chief minister] but have not yet reached any decision,” Rahman said, adding that he too felt sorry for the bribery allegations levelled on him based on hearsay.

The opposition leader added he contacted the parliamentary leaders of opposition parties including Ali Shah Bacha of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Nalota and asked them to share the names of their preferred candidates for the caretaker setup.

The name of Manzoor Afridi for the slot of K-P chief minister has been circulating in the media and on social media with a picture of meeting with Khattak and PTI chief Imran Khan. Afridi is the cousin of Javed Afridi, the business tycoon who owns the Peshawar Zalmi team.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 28^th, 2018.