CM seeks report into PTI rout in Nowshera by-poll

PTI was defeated due to internal differences, says provincial minister

PESHAWAR:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has ordered an inquiry into the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf defeat in the PK-63 Nowshera by-elections and directed the party to submit its report immediately.

Special Assistant on Information and Education to CM Kamran Bangash in a statement said that chief minister has congratulated the people of Kurram for their all out support in the NA-45 Kurram by elections.

“It means the people of the area value the development work being carried out by the PTI government in the newly merged districts,” he said.

Bangash said the CM has ordered a detailed report on the recent defeat of PTI in PK-63 and future course of action will be decided on the basis of this report.

“PTI won the Kurram seat thereby ending a status quo effectively. This seat was won by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl previously,” he said.

On the other hand provincial minister Shaukat Yousafzai has said that PTI has been defeated by ‘PTI’ in the Nowshera by elections in PK-63 and the defeat was a result of the differences inside the party.

“PTI won both the national assembly seats which is a remarkable achievement for the party because we were facing not a single party but 11 political parties allied against us under a united front,” he said.

“As far as the PK-63 Nowshera defeat is concerned let me make it clear that PTI has not been defeated by another political party in Nowshera. We have been defeated by our own political differences brewing inside the party,” he argued.

Before the elections there were widespread rumours that the Khattak family in Nowshera was too much interested in the PK-63 Nowshera seat which fell vacant after the death of its MPA Jmashed Kaka Khel because Minister Irrigation Liaqat Khattak, who is a brother of federal minister Pervaz Khattak, wanted his own son to be party candidate from the constituency and Pervaz Khattak wanted it for his own son.

Ideally the party wanted to give the ticket to late Jamshed Kaka Khel’s son Mian Umar whose father previously won the seat and who was one of the most senior members of the party. In the end the party ticket was given to Mian Umar who lost to the PML-N candidate due to the reported lack of support from the local party stalwarts.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 21^st, 2021.