Going down swinging: PTI workers smell conspiracy behind Yasin Khalil’s ouster

Demand reversal of ‘undemocratic’ move, sing praise for sacked transport adviser.

PESHAWAR:

The local chapter of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has criticised the recent removal of district president Yasin Khan Khalil from the provincial cabinet, exhibiting swelling dissent within the party.

PTI Peshawar General Secretary Younas Zaheer and members of the executive committee on Wednesday addressed a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club stating that Yasin, who was serving as an adviser to the chief minister (CM), was removed unceremoniously.

They expressed shock and anger over the decision and said if the removal was necessary, he should have been informed beforehand instead of being suddenly shown the door.

Zaheer said Yasin was the district president and had no idea he was being axed till the last minute, adding they will meet party chief Imran Khan and CM Pervez Khattak to discuss their reservations.

Expressing complete confidence in Yasin, Zaheer termed his removal “undemocratic”. He said Yasin was respected by every worker from the district as he had organised the party at all union councils. It was under Yasin’s leadership that the party managed to win 10 out of 11 provincial assembly seats from the provincial capital, he said, adding they also clinched all four national assembly seats from the district, thanks to his hard work.

The general secretary said a show-cause notice should have been issued to Yasin, adding the removal smells of a conspiracy to weaken the party in Peshawar.

To a question, Zaheer said they respect Imran Khan and his decisions and only wanted to show the party chief the true picture as they think he has been misinformed about Yasin.

The district leaders asked the party high-ups to reinstate Yasin immediately.

However, Zaheer clarified that the resignation of some party office bearers from Yasin’s constituency was their individual act and has nothing to with the district chapter.

(Dis)unity in the ranks

During the news conference, confusion arose after a party member said they also support sacked PTI provincial minister Shaukat Yousafzai to which other party members said they were here to express support for Yasin only and not Shaukat.

A fight nearly broke out at the press club premises between supporters of Yasin and Shaukat, with both sides trading barbs. It took Zaheer, and some journalists’ intervention, to not let things get out of hand.

Some journalists approached the police fearing a repeat of Tuesday’s incident where Pakistan Peoples Party members ransacked the press club after a fight broke out between two party groups.

Later the groups apologised to each other after discussing the issue inside the press club president’s office. About 20 PTI office bearers from Peshawar, including senior vice president Malik Wajid Khan, Hayat Khan, Zahid Khalil and Women Wing Vice President Fiza Zahir Shah were present at the conference.

Minister for industries Shaukat Yousafzai and adviser to chief minister for transport Yasin Khan Khalil were sacked by the CM over poor performance earlier this month. The move came following the emergence of a 14-member pressure group of the party’s lawmakers and its insistence on purging the party of ‘corrupt elements’. The pressure group members claim they have a few more cabinet members on their list who they say will be removed from their posts in the coming few days.

On Monday, workers from PK-5, Yasin’s constituency, resigned from their party positions and announced a hunger strike camp until the CM gives them “a solid reason” behind the sacking of their leader. The workers had gathered at the Peshawar Press Club where presidents of 10 union councils and their cabinet members resigned in protest.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 8^th, 2014.