PTI rebels skip parliamentary party meeting

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly witnessed high drama on Friday as the provincial budget was presented, with disgruntled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members dominating proceedings by skipping the party's parliamentary meeting while opposition lawmakers turned the house into a protest arena.

Sources confirmed that over 30 dissident PTI members did not attend the party's parliamentary meeting held prior to the budget session. Instead, the disgruntled lawmakers convened a separate gathering at an alternative venue, signaling deepening rifts within the ruling party.

PTI MPA Fazal Elahi claimed during the parallel meeting: "Our gathering is bigger than theirs." Meanwhile, some disgruntled members expressed resentment over Chief Minister commencing the budget session in their absence.

"We will definitely present our views on the budget in the house," the rebel lawmakers asserted.