PTI leaders eye Ziaullah Afridi's vacant ministry seat as Jahangir Tareen visits K-P

Yasin Khan Khalil and Shaukat Yousafzai are said to be among leaders eyeing for Ziaullah Afridi’s seat, PK-1

PESHAWAR: As Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) General Secretary Jahangir Tareen visited Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday, party leaders vied to win his support for the provincial mines and mineral ministry seat, which had fallen vacant after its previous occupant, Ziaullah Afridi, resigned following his arrest by the Ehtisab Commission.

Tareen had been invited to an Iftar party in Peshawar by PTI leaders Yasin Khan Khalil and Shaukat Yousafzai, who are said to be among the front runners in eyeing Afridi’s seat, PK-1.

The Ehtisab Commission was on July 10 granted a 13-day physical remand of Afridi.

Tareen later met with leaders of the Insaf Student Federation (ISF) among other party officials.

Read: Waiting on a decision: Ziaullah Afridi’s family challenges arrest in court

Meanwhile, a few party workers who tried to enter the Iftar party hall were stopped by guards. “I am not sure whether they were the supporters of Afridi but they had no invitation cards and were trying to barge in,” said one PTI worker who was posted on duty at the Warsak Road venue.

Addressing the workers, Tareen congratulated the newly-elected councillors, and called the local government system the biggest achievement of his party.

He also praised the K-P Ehtisab Commission and called it the first ever accountability commission which could not be influenced by the government.

“The commission is free and the even the provincial chief minister cannot remove its director. We hope it will decide matters on merit,” he said.

Read: Minerals minister Ziaullah Afridi remanded for 13 days

He asked workers to persevere with the ideology of PTI, which will ensure its survival.

Khalil also extended his gratitude to Tareen for accepting his invitation, vowing he would not let grouping in the party.

Pointing towards Afridi, Khalil said, “We have no difference with each other. One of our friends is in jail but there is no room for corruption in PTI’s manifesto. He has to clear himself from corruption charges.”