Pervez Khattak’s son, brother to contest by-polls on PTI ticket

NOWSHERA: As expected, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) here Wednesday nominated former chief minister Pervez Khattak’s brother and son to contest the by-election for the two provincial assembly seats vacated by him.

Pervez Khattak had won one National Assembly and two Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly seats in the July 25 general election.

He kept the National Assembly seat and was appointed federal minister of defence. He was keen to keep these seats in the family and has taken the first step to do so by getting his brother and son nominated to contest the bypolls.

A meeting of the party leaders was held in the family’s village Manki Sharif with Pervez Khattak in the chair.

Nowshera District Nazim Liaqat Khattak, who is Pervez Khattak’s brother, attended the meeting along with other party workers. Pervez Khattak’s sons Ishaq Khattak and Ibrahim Khattak were also present on the occasion.

The meeting nominated Pervez Khattak’s younger son Ibrahim Khattak to run for PK-61 while his brother Liaqat Khattak would contest the by-polls on PK-64.

Pervez Khattak has already got his son-in-law Dr Imran Khattak elected as MNA on the PTI ticket from Nowshera. His two female relatives were elected lawmakers on the PTI ticket on women reserved seats.

The PTI nominees for the by-elections, Ibrahim Khattak and Liaqat Khattak, would submit nomination papers with the retuning officers in Nowshera today.

The by-elections would be held October 14.

The opposition parties are reportedly trying to nominate a joint candidate to face the PTI in the by-election.