Beleaguered PTI suffers blow in its strongest bastion

PESHAWAR:

Former PTI leader Pervez Khattak on Monday officially entered the fray announcing the launch of a new political party by the name of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians (PTI-P) – carved out of the PTI by cobbling together defectors – for his shot at power in the upcoming elections.

With their entry into the splinter group’s fold, at least 57 provincial and the National Assembly members, including former K-P chief minister Mehmood Khan, have potentially dealt a huge blow to the former ruling party -– a possibility its leaders quickly scoffed at as they fumed about defections, putting on a brave face.

Notably, the former K-P chief minister has rolled out the red carpet for the likes of Ishtiaq Armar, Ziaullah Bangash, Ghazan Jamal, Agha Gandapur, Ahtesham Javed, Ahmed Hussain Shah and Falak Naz among others.

Well-placed sources had earlier confirmed that the party’s scanner for potential defectors had been zeroing in on the MPAs who had switched their loyalties during the Senate elections under the PTI’s reign as well as who could not get tickets during the last elections.

A handout issued by the party said the former was the new party’s chief and boasted more inductions on the way. Explaining the rationale for the formation of a new outfit, it said it was a result of differences and conflict within the PTI on the May 9 tragedy.

All political leaders joining the PTI-P held PTI chief Imran Khan responsible for the May 9 riots, it added.

Read Pervez Khattak steps down from PTI post

“Imran Khan’s anti-national agenda was not only rejected by the public but the party’s own leadership. These patriotic politicians parted ways with the PTI over the May 9 events,” it further said.

‘Imran wasted elections opportunities’

Meanwhile, in a video of the gathering of the newly formed party and its members doing rounds on social media, Khattak questioned why PTI wasted several opportunities for general elections.

He was apparently referring to the negotiations between the coalition government and PTI prior to the violent events of May 9 which eventually led to the weakening of the party.

“Do we want to walk the path of democracy or the path of anarchy?” he asked. He also questioned the reasons behind the PTI’s failure to accept the election results. “It must be asked why PTI refused to acknowledge the results of the elections and why we are still heading towards turmoil,” he said.

He further said that the reasons for PTI's refusal to accept the elections remain a mystery. “When this mystery unravels, everyone's eyes will be opened to the true nature of PTI's agenda,” he added.

“It was mutually decided that we will lay the foundation of a new party, which will be named Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Parliamentarians… We will announce its manifesto and the colour of its flag soon,” he continued reading from a paper.

Khattak went on to say that “our decision will be in the country’s interest”.

“We introduced the Sahulat Sehat Card in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, we built the Swat Motorway and established Peshawar BRT, we promoted tourism in the province … and introduced the Billion Tree Tsunami programme.”

Disarray

However, shortly after Khattak announced the formation of the party, several prominent members swiftly distanced themselves from the newly-formed political party.

Within half an hour of the announcement, dissenting messages started pouring in from the members. So far, nine individuals from the list provided to the media have disavowed their association with the new party, while more such defections are expected.

 

However, mere days after t

Prominent figures including PTI leaders Muhammad Jan, Iftikhar Mashwani, Malik Shaukat, Taj Muhammad Khan, Pir Masoor Khan, and Sajida Zulfikar have all denied being part of Khattak's new party.

Former MPA from Swat Azizullah Khan, former MPA from Abbottabad Qalandar Khan Lodhi, as well as former lawmaker from Lower Dir Azam Khan, have also refuted reports of joining PTI-P, stating their unwavering loyalty to the PTI and its chairman Imran Khan until their last breath.

Observers argue that the initial dissenting messages from members are a clear indication that the party's political manifesto does not hold much significance.

PTI puts on brave face

In a series of acrimonious statements, the PTI leaders quickly attacked the newly-formed political outfit and put on a brave face, saying the “monsoon season is underway” and political parties were “springing up like weed”.

“Attempts are being made to destroy the standing crop of democracy in the country with a locust horde of 14 parties,” the party spokesperson added in a statement.

“In politics, the officials of the ‘Department of Agriculture’ are working hard day and night in the challenge of cultivating these new crops.” Lashing out at the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party in Lahore, the PTI said: “That seed turned out rotten and was ground into the soil even before harvest.”

“The seed in KP called ‘Parliamentarian’ will also be washed away in the first rain of public reaction.”

However, the party said it was grateful to the “Department of Agriculture” and its staff for “exposing the dirty eggs involved in behind-the-scenes conspiracies and separating them from PTI”.

‘Political funeral’

Meanwhile, PTI leader Hammad Azhar said the faces of the new outfit's members betrayed disappointment.

“All of them know that they are attending their own political funeral, not a new party [launch],” he said.

Similarly, PTI K-P President Ali Amin Gandapur said the departures would not impact the party or its chairman Imran at all, asserting that the lawmakers who deserted “should not forget that they are parliamentarians because of PTI and Imran Khan”.

He insisted that the PTI’s voter base remained intact and the party would triumph over all others and sweep the polls to form its own government.

Earlier, the former ruling party had terminated the basic party membership of former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister and senior party leader Pervez Khattak over allegations of inciting the party members to revolt.

“With reference to the show cause notice served to you earlier dated June 21, 2023, you have not provided a satisfactory reply within the given stipulated time regarding contacting party members and inciting them to leave the party.

“Now, therefore, you are served with this notice of termination from your basic membership of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Your membership from PTI has been terminated with immediate effect,” read the notice issued by the party’s secretary general, Omar Ayub Khan, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, on Wednesday.