——— Says PTI leaders fighting among themselves
——— Adds KP Ministers “more focused” on benefits than party goals
——— Avers he will inform Imran about grievances
PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member of the National Assembly (MNA) Sher Afzal Marwat took a dig at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Saturday for overlooking the incarcerated founding chairman of the party Imran Khan.
Imran has been imprisoned in Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail for over a year now.
In a fiery speech, while addressing a rally of the PTI activists in Peshawar, Marwat alleged the party leaders of deserting the founder when he needed help.
The PTI leaders were fighting among themselves for ministries and party positions, he said, shared his disappointment and saying that loyalty towards the imprisoned former prime minister had been eclipsed by party’s internal conflicts and personal goals. “Some KP ministers are more focused on benefits than promoting the goals of the PTI,” he said.
The MNA said he had been threatened with expulsion from the party but stated that such threats could not deter him.
Marwat said he intended to meet with the PTI founder to discuss the situation within the KP govern-ment, adding that he would inform him about alleged misdeeds, including certain officials, who he claimed should be prosecuted, instead of being rewarded with government positions.
Referring to a past incident, he condemned the recent promotion of a police officer who allegedly opened fire on him in Bajaur. He said that the official had been promoted as a senior superintendent of police (SSP) in Peshawar.
The PTI leader said he would inform Imran about the grievances to challenge the status quo within PTI’s KP leadership. He called for a decisive approach to help secure the release of the PTI founder.
Marwat’s remarks come in the wake of reports about conflicts within the PTI, which emerged during the D-Chowk protests earlier this month and later over voting for the 26th Constitutional Amendment as some party members voted in favour of the tweaks going against their party’s policy.
Zain Qureshi, a day ago, stepped down as the PTI’s deputy parliamentary leader in the NA after he was issued a show-cause notice over his severing contact with the PTI leadership during passing of the amendment in both the upper and lower house.
Marwat, too, has previously engaged in tense verbal duels with fellow party leaders for a few months earlier this year over, what he called, “disagreement with the party”.
The politico even faced termination of his basic party membership over the violation of party discipline in August. Later, he apologised for his statements against the PTI leaders. –Agencies
