KP’s former CM Pervez Khattak ready to launch new party

Former prime minister Imran Khan’s top aide and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s former chief minister Pervez Khattak is set to announce the launch of his own new political party, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Parliamentarian (PTI-P) on Monday.

The much-awaited move by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s ex-provincial president serves as a potential challenge to the PTI in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province as media reports cited Mr Khattak claiming the support of at least 57 lawmakers of the party.

The development comes as the Imran Khan-led PTI remains embattled, with its chairman facing several cases and a threat of disqualification, while several party leaders leaving him following the May 9 – the day PTI workers wreaked havoc and attacked army installations in different cities of the country.

Earlier, the PTI leadership had ousted Pervez Khattak from the party on charges of contacting the party members to party ways with PTI. Earlier, Mr Khattak had been issued a show cause notice to reply to the allegations, but he did not submit any reply whatsoever. Later, his basic membership of the party was terminated.

Pervez Khattak had served as PTI’s chief minister in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as the federal defence minister during the PTI tenure in the centre.

Mr Khattak had resigned from all party positions following the May 9 incidents and had called for action against those who were responsible for the May 9 incidents.

According to recent political and media reports, Khattak has been meeting with significant political players in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad, including former PTI members who have previously been elected to assemblies.

The media reports said that Khattak has also held meetings with political figures from PTI who allegedly did not vote for the party in the Senate election, besides those ignored by the leadership for party ticket during the last general election. Mr Khattak is expected to make the formal announcement of his new political party with the name of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Parliamentarians in a press conference. Khattak has also selected the party flag with half white and half green color.