For nearly three months, activists of PTI and its coalition partners in the government held a sit-in at Hayatabad Toll Plaza and inspected trucks heading to Afghanistan. Vehicles found to be carrying supplies for Nato troops were not allowed to pass through. Photo: File
The coalition government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) seems to be going through a rough patch as partners of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have expressed concern over not being kept in the loop about the party’s decision to end the sit-in against Nato supplies.
One of PTI’s less sizeable partners, the Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan (AJIP), has termed the decision taken by the PTI core committee as one-sided.
Size matters
This was stated by AJIP Central Senior Vice President Haji Bakht Sher Khan, Vice President Haji Buland Iqbal Tarakai and Secretary General Liaquat Yousafzai in a news conference held at the residence of Babar Saleem Khan in Swabi on Sunday. They also complained of not being consulted on the district development schemes. District leaders of the party were also present at the conference.
“AJIP is the party of neglected people of the society and they expressed their confidence in us in the recent elections, giving us five provincial and one National Assembly seat,” said Khan. Minister for IT and Agriculture Shahram Khan Tarakai and deputy parliamentary leader Babar Saleem Khan are also from the AJIP, he emphasied. Regarding drone strikes, Khan said innocent people were killed in these attacks and their party had raised its voice against these strikes at all forums.
“To this effect we agreed with PTI’s decision to block Nato supply routes which proved effective in halting drone assaults,” claimed Khan. “After 97 days of protesting together, our party was not consulted in the decision to suspend the protest.”
Liaquat Yousafzai maintained their party leaders are not even taken into confidence regarding development projects in Swabi, the party’s home base.
“Speaker of the Assembly Asad Qaiser is managing all the projects in Swabi; PTI leaders do not bother to consult other parties’ members,” added Yousafzai.
He went on to say their party has serious concerns over PTI’s way of doing things as AJIP was also voted into power by the people of the district and needs a say in decisions concerning them.
“Such an approach leads to a trust deficit and the government needs to take note of the situation by addressing our concerns.”
Minister Shahram told The Express Tribune, “PTI should have taken our party on board as we respect all of their leaders and have a good understanding of running the affairs of the provincial government.”
Responding to a query, he said the party will discuss the issue with the PTI. “We were taken on board before starting the protest and our workers took part in large numbers across K-P”.
AJIP welcomes Taliban’s ceasefire announcement and the party stands by the nation and the army for restoration of peace, added Shahram.
When contacted Sirajul Haq, the provincial finance minister from the Jamaat-e-Islami, PTI’s other coalition partner, said his party was also not taken on board like the AJIP over the decision to halt the sit-in. Haq denied to comment any further on the issue.
Damage control
Minister for Health Shaukat Yousafzai said both coalition parties are their trustworthy allies in the provincial government. The decision to end the Nato supply route blockade was taken by the core committee of the party, explained Shaukat. “We will address any concerns and reservations of our coalition partners,” he maintained.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 3rd, 2014.
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