Cracks appear within PTI over party’s nominee for KP CM seat

Differences have developed within the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) as to who will be the next chief minister (CM) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the province where the party virtually eliminated its political opponents in the general elections held on February 8, 2024, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Tuesday.

Quoting its sources, 24News reported that one of the reasons for these differences was that more party leaders were now eyeing the seat of the CM.

They disclosed that former KP Assembly speaker Mushtaq Ghani was no more a candidate for the post after one of the party leaders from Hazara division objected to his candidature.

On the other hand, PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan’s brother Arshad Ayub, too, was now one of the contenders for the position, sources informed.

PTI-supported independent candidates won 91 seats in the KP Assembly, way ahead of other political parties such as Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) with seven, five and four seats in the provincial assembly, according to complete, but unofficial results. 

Similarly, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) won three seats while Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-Parliamentarian (PTI-P) managed to win just two seats each.

PTI, JI talk on govt formation in KP

In yet another development, PTI and JI leadership in KP have contacted each other as part of their efforts to form a government in the province.

Sources told 24News that in a meeting between PTI spokesman Barrister Saif and his counterpart in the JI Bahrullah Advocate, the latter had suggested the formation of a powerful committee in order to ensure meaningful talks.

However, they added, it was the former prime minister and ex-PTI chairman, Imran Khan, who would approve an alliance between the two parties.

Reporter: Amir Shehzad