PTI chief nominates ex-sports minister Mehmood Khan for K-P CM post

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has nominated former provincial sports minister Mehmood Khan for the post of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's next chief minister.

The decision came as a surprise as former CM Pervez Khattak and former provincial education minister Mohammad Atif Khan were considered two strong contenders for the slot.

Chairman PTI and PM designate @ImranKhanPTI has nominated Mehmood Khan as the new Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. #PTI

— PTI (@PTIofficial) August 8, 2018

Mehmood Khan apparently benefited from the fight between Khattak and Atif Khan. Khattak was not ready to accept Atif as the chief minister and according to sources, the former CM was supporting Mahmoood Khan to be nominated for the chief minister’s position.

Mehmood was elected as member of the provincial assembly from PK-9 Swat in 2013 and 2018 general elections. He is the PTI Malakand Division president.

PTI media manager Iftikhar Durrani also confirmed the news.

Pervez Khattak, Atif Khan in the run for K-P CM slot

Mahmoood Khan hails from Swat and has served as minister for sports, culture and tourism in the previous tenure of PTI. He was also given the portfolio of K-P home minister, but was later removed from the post.

Born in Matta Tehsil of Swat in 1972, Khan got his early education from Government Primary School Matta and completed his matriculation from Peshawar Public School. He did his masters in agriculture from the Agriculture University of Peshawar.

Mahmoood Khan has also served as Nazim Union Council Khariri of Tehsil Matta from 2007 to 2012. He also served as the K-P irrigation minister for a brief period.