BAP parts way with PTI in K-P

PESHAWAR:

Bilawal Afridi, member provincial assembly (MPA) of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), has announced breaking ranks with the ruling Pakistan Tehree-e-Insaf (PTI) in the province.

He released a video message blaming that PTI has failed to fulfill its commitment about the National Finance Commission Award (NFC Award). Other promises made by the party leadership were also not fulfilled, he added.

“We will take decisions for the greater interests of our people and voters and there is no use of keeping this alliance anymore,” he said.

“We are not invited to the meetings on tribal districts in the province and funds are utilised on the likes and dislikes of two or three people in this province. Tribal MPAs are completely ignored by the ruling party,” he said.

BAP has four MPAs in the K-P Assembly including Afridi.

Bilawal Afridi and others including Abbas Rehman and Shafiq Afridi were elected as MPAs during the 2019 polls in tribal districts. They had contested the elections as independent candidates and later joined the BAP after a meeting with its president Jam Kamal in a move which shocked everyone.

The development is not surprising for the political observers at all as opposition is flexing its muscles for a no confidence vote at the National Assembly against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 17^th, 2022.