Pervez Khattak active to secure powerful slot in future set-up

PESHAWAR: Home to many prominent and influential political families and personalities, Nowshera district has become a hub of political activities where some political parties are looking for suitable candidates for the upcoming general elections.

However, former chief minister and erstwhile leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Pervez Khattak has yet to show his cards who had neither joined Jehangir Tareen’s Istehkam Pakistan Party nor joined other political party but mulling over to form his own party or group for the upcoming general elections. As a former federal minister in Imran Khan cabinet in the previous government, Pervez Khattak has also been expelled from the PTI and now he has no option but to form his own party or join another mainstream political party.

Pervez Khattak’s family had secured two National Assembly seats and two provincial assembly constituencies in the 2018 general elections on the PTI tickets in the district but in the bye-polls, the PTI lost to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate Ikhtiar Wali Khan by a big margin. After that by-poll, the differences in Pervez Khattak’s family surfaced and Liaqat Khattak, brother of Pervez Khattak, was not only removed from the provincial cabinet but he also quit Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

Known for frequently changing political parties, Pervez Khattak remained loyal to Imran Khan’s party till last, although he had formally resigned as provincial chief of the PTI. He did not quit the party but was expelled when he failed to reply to a show-cause notice from the party leadership.

According to a political analyst, Pervez Khattak had lost his chances of joining any mainstream political party and he even has to lose a chunk of his vote bank that he had secured under the banner of PTI as Imran Khan’s party is still enjoying popularity in Nowsehra as well as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Before joining PPP, Pervez Khattak had quit the PPP-Sherpao at that time when he was provincial president of that party in the province. There are also chances that he might join Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao’s Qaumi Watan Party.

His brother Liaqat Khattak had already joined Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and his son Ahad Khattak, former tehsil nazim, are potential candidates for provincial assembly constituencies in Nowshera where former district nazim Daud Khattak had joined the JUI-F and is considered one of the strong candidate for one of the National Assembly seats in Nowshera.

Similarly, another resourceful and influential family, Ishaq Khattak had joined Pakistan People’s Party a few months ago and was eying for one National Assembly and one provincial assembly seats.

The Awami National Party has already awarded tickets for two National Assembly seats and four Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly seats where one of the archrival of Pervez Khattak in the previous elections, Khan Pervez Khan, would contest this time on the ANP ticket while his son Jamshid Khan will be main rival of Pervez Khattak’s family on PK-85, Nowshera.

The ANP had also nominated Mian Babar Shah Kakakhel, another resourceful and influential candidate from Kakakhel family, for NA-34, Nowshera, wherefrom Pervez Khattak’s son-in-law Dr Imran had been elected twice on the PTI ticket. Central general secretary of the ANP Mian Iftikhar Hussain also enjoys strong support in his constituency where the Pakhtun nationalist party had also secured tehsil nazim seat in the last local bodies elections.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz provincial spokesperson and former MPA Ikhtiyar Wali is also flexing his muscles for the upcoming general elections who had defeated the PTI candidate Mian Umar Jamshid in the last by-polls in Nowshera. Now he will contest for one National Assembly and one provincial assembly seat from his stronghold, Nowshera Kalan City.

The sudden demise of former provincial minister and divisional president of Pakistan People’s Party Liaqat Shabab has created a political vacuum in the district as he was also one of the popular leaders and parliamentarians not only in Nowshera but in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa too. Some people believe that Pervez Khattak wanted a deal with PPP to consider him as candidate for chief minister slot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but the late Liaqat Shabab had opposed it; however, now Pervez Khattak might make his way into the PPP with his own terms and conditions.