Coalition politics: MPA Babar Khan dismissed from AJIP

Party to submit application to get his assembly membership cancelled

PESHAWAR:

MPA Babar Khan of Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan (AJIP) has been sacked for violating party discipline. He was stripped of his party membership in a joint discussion at the party’s core committee meeting in Peshawar on Saturday.

AJIP Senior Vice President Buland Iqbal Khan Tarakai told The Express Tribune Babar had been issued various show-cause notices time and again to defend himself. However, he did not respond. Therefore, the core members decided to strip him of his membership. “The party plans to send a reference letter addressing the assembly speaker and the Election Commission of Pakistan to cancel his assembly membership as well,” added Buland.

Read: Collective front: Shahram to merge AJIP with PTI on August 14 

The tussle

Babar is the son of Dr Salim Khan, the founder of Swabi Qaumi Mahaz. He was elected as an MPA on the AJIP ticket in the 2013 general elections for the PK-31 constituency of Swabi. The constituency included the areas of Maneri, Saleem Khan, Panjpir and Shah Mansoor. Insiders familiar with the matter said differences between Babar and AJIP developed when Babar did not get any portfolio in the provincial cabinet, of which AJIP is also a part. The differences were aggravated when Babar felt the government was ignoring his constituency in development schemes.

Babar speaks up

In January 2015, Babar raised the issue of his constituency reportedly being ignored in public health engineering schemes on the assembly floor through a point of order, which created chaos in the house.

“Gajju Khan Medical College is located in Shah Mansoor in my constituency but people from the area were being ignored. Instead, class-IV employees were being appointed,” Babar told The Express Tribune, explaining the differences between him and AJIP. He alleged Minister for Health Shahram Khan Tarakai was ignoring people from his area. “I had to raise voice for my people as it is my job and my right to speak up.”

Babar said although he was the chairperson of the district development committee of Swabi, he was not consulted when class-IV employees were being hired. “Shahram kept delaying and dodging my questions that I put in front of the assembly,” he said. “The Ehtesab Commission should conduct an enquiry and look into the appointment of the class-IV employees in Swabi, and arrest Shahram Khan.”

He told The Express Tribune he found out through the media that he has been sacked from his party membership. Tarakai on Saturday had tweeted from his personal account that Babar had been terminated from AJIP; a picture in the tweet stated he should have responded to the show-case noted dated August 7.

Babar said though he contested in the election with AJIP’s ticket, he has his “own party [Swabi Qaumi Mahaz] and a green flag”.

“It is a political party that represents justice. And I will continue to raise these questions for my people whether I am a part of AJIP or not,” he said.

Babar said he is ready to discuss the matter with the provincial health minister whenever possible.

What do the rules say

Article 63 of the Constitution prohibits members from defecting. It says a member of a parliamentary party is disqualified on grounds of defection if he resigns from the party or joins another party, among other factors. However, as Babar did not resign or violate Article 63 in any form or manner, it may not be possible thus far for him to lose the assembly membership.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 18^th, 2015.