Missing CM: ANP moves adjournment motion against PTI's Khattak

Khattak did not attend flag hoisting ceremony on August 14, ANP leader claims he was sleeping.

ISLAMABAD: The Awami National Party has submitted an adjournment motion in the Senate against Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak because of his absence from the flag hoisting ceremony on Independence Day.

Khattak, who represents the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, was missing from the flag hoisting ceremony held at Police Lines on August 14. This was the first ceremony being held under the PTI government.

As per standard procedure, chief minister (CM) was the chief guest at the main ceremony at police lines. However, just before the ceremony kicked off, it was learnt CM Pervez Khattak will not be attending the ceremony and Health Minister Shaukat Yousafzai and Information Minister Shah Farman will be presiding over the event instead.

The chief minister’s spokesperson said that he was in Islamabad to attend a meeting with United Nations (UN) General Secretary Ban Ki-moon so the health minister was asked to attend the flag hoisting ceremony instead.

Awami National Party (ANP) leader Zahid Khan, speaking outside the Senate, said that it was unfortunate that things that had never happened before were now happening since the PTI government took over.

He claimed that Khattak was not in Islamabad and had not woken up in the morning, which is why he had missed the ceremony.