PTI leaders clash over mines bill controversy

Despite the intervention of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar, differences between Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and PTI Peshawar Region President Atif Khan are far from over.

A heated exchange of words between the two leaders took place in the PTI parliamentarians' WhatsApp group over the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Mines and Minerals (Amendment) Bill.

When Atif Khan declared the bill 'against the interests of the people of K-P' the chief minister responded by asking if Atif had even read the bill.

PTI's provincial spokesperson and Member Provincial Assembly, Malik Adeel Iqbal, has said that the K-P Assembly will not approve the Mines and Minerals (Amendment) Bill for now, and that the final decision will be made by the party's founding chairman Imran Khan.

PTI sources told The Express Tribune that the rift between Gandapur and Atif Khan remains unresolved. The dispute over the K-P Mines and Minerals (Amendment) Bill escalated in the party's WhatsApp group, where Atif Khan opposed the bill, by declaring it against the interests of the people of provinve.

In response, Ali Amin Gandapur directly addressed him, saying, "Have you even read the bill? If you do not understand English, I will send you a copy in Urdu version."

He added that there is nothing wrong with the bill itself, in fact the problem is personal.