Why Manzoor Afridi?

PESHAWAR: A guessing game has started as to why and how the virtually unknown Manzoor Afridi has been chosen as the caretaker chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Is it because of his closeness to the JUI-F leader Maulana Fazlur Rahman and his younger brother Maulana Lutfur Rahman, who is leader of the opposition in the KP Assembly? Or is it due to the fact that his brother Senator Ayub Afridi belongs to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)?

Maulana Lutfur Rahman and KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had to make the decision to appoint the caretaker chief minister and both had reasons to pick Manzoor Afridi for the job.

Ayub Afridi too was picked from obscurity by the PTI leadership and given the party ticket to contest the Senate election held in March for a seat from KP even though he belonged to Fata. Now Manzoor Afridi despite hailing from Fata is being made the caretaker chief minister of KP. Though Fata is being merged with KP, the process has just started and would take time.

There is no doubt that Manzoor Afridi belongs to one of the richest families of Fata, and also KP. It is also true that he is a businessman and a resourceful man. However, he has no administrative experience and no real interest in politics.

In the social media, his choice is already being criticized and different meanings are being attached to his choice. The fact that his name was proposed by Maulana Lutfur Rahman and agreed by Pervez Khattak has given another twist to the situation.

It is intriguing that Manzoor Afridi was chosen ahead of more well-known, experienced and credible persons, including former judges, civil servants and personalities from other walks of life whose names were listed among the probable candidates for the office of chief minister.