PTI finalises Sheikh Waqas as PAC chairman

ISLAMABAD: Differences in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership have seemingly worsened, as its senior leader Sher Afzal Marwat Wednesday announced his decision not to work with senior party leaders.

His outburst came after the party revoked his nomination for the post of National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman, and finalised Sheikh Waqas Akram for the said office. Sources said the PTI founder Imran Khan was reportedly disappointed with MNA Marwat over his irresponsible behaviour and he even refused to meet him for the second consecutive day on Wednesday.

Talking to the media outside the Adiala jail, Rawalpindi, Marwat alleged that PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz did not let him meet founder chairman Imran Khan, in connivance with the jail superintendent. He said he needed to meet the founder PTI, but Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz did not allow him to do so and as such he was compelled to put the facts before the public. He pointed out that earlier both Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz claimed that the PMLN was not ready to accept him as the PAC chairman. They quoted Khawaja Asif and NA speaker as having said so, whereas both denied it.

“My own party people are indulging in my leg-pulling,” he said. “Then I came to know that Shibli Faraz told Khan Sahib that Saudi ambassador had said that if Marwat is made the PAC chairman, then their relations would be affected. This is a serious issue and if there is a problem for the Saudi government, then I will not create any problem for Khan Sahib at all,” he said.

Then addressing Imran Khan, Marwat said he should be considered out of the race (for the PAC chairmanship) now. He said he could not tolerate the disgrace meted out to him. He alleged that even the PTI official media team was running a campaign against him.

Marwat revealed that Barrister Gohar, Khan had asked the political committee to finalise the matter through voting. Despite having been made a committee member by the PTI founder chairman, he was not informed about voting for which a campaign was run and then Khan was informed that the political committee did not want him [Marwat] as the PAC chairman.

Marwat said another instance of his disgrace was when his brother was de-notified as the special assistant to CM Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, saying if he was not to be retained, then he should have been asked to resign. “Is it not a disgrace to me that I was named for PAC chairman slot for two months and then it was said that the Saudi envoy opposed my candidacy and then the political committee opposed my name,” he regretted.

“We were directed to stage protests in relation to May 9 in all the provinces and I was given the task by Imran Khan to lead them. Protests are necessary to force the release of founder chairman and get back the stolen mandate. But now Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz will handle them,” he added.

He claimed that Imran Khan had named Barrister Ali Zafar for the slot of leader of the opposition in the Senate, but Shibli got himself notified and Omar Ayub became the leader of the opposition in the NA. “They are getting their favourites inducted into committees to stabilise their position in the party,” he alleged.

Marwat said he has no greed for positions and posts, he revived the PTI when it had become a ‘dead horse’ and that he did not even want to contest elections but did that at the behest of the party founder. He added that the agenda for which he had come out was finished today and if now they speak against him, he would expose them.

“I have been targeted since the February 8 elections and I have apprised the party founder about it,” Marwat alleged. “I would resign from the National Assembly if the PTI founder even hints me to do so,” he added. “I cannot accept such disrespect; I am leaving and will only return to meet the PTI founder when I’m summoned,” he said.

This is not the first time Marwat has been at loggerheads with other party leaders; previously, PTI’s Taimur Khan Jhagra had raised objections over his prospective candidacy from Peshawar. Last month, he was even engaged in an online spat with Imran’s close aide Salman Ahmad.

Sources said PTI Secretary General and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub and Senator Shibli Faraz had summoned a political committee meeting to withdraw Marwat’s name from the PAC, adding that they had suggested the name of Shaikh Waqas Akram as his replacement. During the voting, sources said, Asad Qaiser, Sheharyar Afridi, Shandana Gulzar and Zulfi Bukhari supported Marwat.