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Thursday March 28, 2024

Manzoor Afridi’s meeting with Imran raises eyebrows

By Mushtaq Yusufzai
May 28, 2018

PESHAWAR: The maiden meeting of the proposed caretaker chief minister Manzoor Afridi with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan created doubts about his credibility and impartiality as the opposition parties saw it an attempt to rig the forthcoming general election in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

It was learnt that Manzoor Afridi met Imran Khan at his Banigala residence in Islamabad where outgoing Chief Minister Pervez Khattak was also present.

Ayub Afridi, who was recently elected Senator from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the PTI ticket, and brother of the proposed chief minister, was also seen in the picture, released by the PTI circles.

Some PTI members in Peshawar told The News that majority of them were not aware about the details of the meeting that took place between Pervez Khattak and opposition leader Maulana Lutfur Rahman, who is the younger brother of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) provincial president Amir Muqam said that he was not only shocked but felt ashamed when he came to know that someone had been nominated the caretaker chief minister on the basis of his wealth. “Believe me I felt ashamed when I learnt about this development. There is a limit to everything but they crossed all limits to promote their vested interest,” said the PML-N leader.

He added that the PTI leadership by allegedly selling the highest position of the province has tarnished image of the province and its people. “People will now be talking about KP and its people that these are the people who sold the chief minister’s position,” said Amir Muqam.?

The PML-N leader said they would soon convene meeting of all the opposition parties ?in KP and would adopt a joint stance on what he termed “pre-planned rigging” of the PTI and JUI-F in the province.

?He said it was first time in the history of the province that a price was fixed for the chief minister’s position.

Amir Muqam said the proposed caretaker chief minister was taken to Banigala where he met Imran Khan, which he said had put a big question mark on his impartiality to conduct free, fair and independent election. “We aren’t going to accept this. It is responsibility of all the state institutions and media to discourage what’s going on in KP,” he said.

Qaumi Watan Party head Aftab Sherpao also had similar views, saying they were seriously concerned about free and fair election in the province under Manzoor Afridi. “Imagine the person was immediately taken to Banigala for a meeting with Imran Khan soon after his nomination. It has conveyed a very disappointing message to all the political parties in KP. How can we expect him to hold free and fair election now? asked Aftab Sherpao.

He said Imran Khan should have avoided a meeting with him as he knew that he was brother of his party senator.

Aftab Sherpao said they were surprised to know that a person who was against Fata’s merger with KP was made the chief minister of that province. “It is a joke with this province and its people,” he said.

Awami National Party (ANP) leader Zahid Khan also termed it a pre-planned rigging attempt by the PTI leadership.

“Everybody knows how he was made the caretaker chief minister but the way he was taken to Banigala has exposed him and PTI leadership,” said Zahid Khan. He said the Election Commission of Pakistan should take note as none of the political parties in KP would expect free and fair election under Manzoor Afridi.

Interestingly, Manzoor Afridi’s brother was elected Senator on PTI ticket while his uncle Mirza Afridi got elected as senator on PML-N ticket.

Also, sources close to Manzoor Afridi said that he was close to JUI-F and was considered one of their main financial supporters. The decision to nominate a person, who doesn’t have public exposure or the experience to run the administration as caretaker chief minister has drawn criticism from the people belonging to different walks of life.

The politicians affiliated with the opposition expressed concern at nomination of Manzoor Afridi and his subsequent meeting with Imran Khan.

Efforts were made to seek comments of PTI leadership but neither Shaukat Yousafzai nor Mushtaq Ghani attended phone calls.