PkMAP expels MPAs as crisis within nationalist party deepens

Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai on Saturday expelled members of the provincial assembly (MPAs) Nasrullah Khan Zarai, Essa Roshan, Yousaf Khan Kakar, Syed Abdul Qadar Agha, Khushal Kasi and others as the internal crisis within the party deepened on Saturday.

This is for the first time that a serious crisis has surfaced within the Pashtoon nationalist party and a large number of elected MPAs have been expelled.

“All office-bearers who participated in a gathering at the residence of Yousaf Khan Kakar have been sacked,” the PkMAP Chief announced this decision while addressing a news conference.

Senior leaders Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal, Abdul Qahar Wadan, Rauf Lala, and others were also present on the occasion.

This decision came two days after the party dissidents met in Kuchlak and urged party head to convene the party’s national congress to discuss what they called an internal and ideological crisis within the party.

“These men failed to follow the party line despite repeated warnings,” said Achakzai. He hinted at opening party doors for the junior cadres and adopting a strict approach towards these senior leaders.

Achakzai has already sacked the party’s secretary general Mukhtar Khan Yousafzai, former senator Raza Muhammad Raza and former provincial minister Obaidullah Jan Babat.

The party’s dissidents had also convened the national congress at the end of December to discuss the prevailing internal conflict within the party.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th, 2022.