Bidding farewell: Iftikhar Khan Jhagra resigns from PPP

Says his party’s leadership has neglected him many a time.

PESHAWAR: Senior provincial leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Iftikhar Khan Jhagra resigned from the party’s membership and its central executive committee (CEC) on Tuesday.

Speaking to journalists at the Peshawar Press Club, Jhagra said his party’s leadership had neglected him many a time. “Now President Asif Ali Zardari has invited me to a meeting, but I will not attend,” he said.

Jhagra alleged the election was pre-planned to bring certain political parties to power. “Apart from K-P Chief Minister (CM) Pervez Khattak, no other member of the provincial assembly knows the real spirit of politics. However, the CM alone cannot accomplish anything unless a strong team of policy makers joins him,” added Jhagra.

Talking about by-elections, the former PPP member said he would assess the situation and contest as an independent candidate if the people needed him.



Jhagra added the situation in the region would become dangerous after the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan next year. “The government needs to formulate a policy to protect our land from more bloodshed.”

Jhagra has contested elections eight times over the course of his career – getting elected five times from various parties and as an independent candidate.  He joined the PPP in 1983, but left the party in November, 2011 to join the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) over differences with the PPP’s leadership. He then rejoined PPP in December, 2012.

Jhagra also contested the recent elections on a PPP ticket from PK-9, Peshawar-IX, but lost to Arbab Jehandad Khan of the PTI.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 12^th, 2013.