Sidelining old guard, embracing newcomers in PTI

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has resolved differences among its leaders but some party people are believed to be still in conflict with each other on certain issues.

In the previous PTI government, headed by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, a number of senior party members were in direct confrontation with each other and had developed serious differences.

The differences between Pervez Khattak and his two influential cabinet members Mohammad Atif Khan and Shahram Khan Tarakai were known to everybody.

Their differences didn’t stop even after the general election as both Pervez Khattak and Atif Khan used their influence to become chief minister of the province.

Imran Khan had to intervene to resolve the issue. It benefitted little known Mahmood Khan who got the prized position of chief executive of the province.

In initial days there were reports that Atif Khan and Shahram Tarakai were not on the same page with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on certain issues.

The two cabinet members, however, recently met the chief minister and reportedly assured him of their full support.

Pervez Khattak is now following the party line and reportedly trying to get a berth in the provincial cabinet for his brother.

Mahmood Khan is presently stated to be a strong man in the province due to his loyalty and obedience to party chairman and Prime Minster Imran Khan.

Provincial Information Minister Shaukat Yousafzai is stated to be one of the oldest PTI workers and a diehard supporter of Imran Khan.

Someone has rightly stated that all those who joined PTI soon after its launch and remained associated with Imran Khan during difficult days of his political career were sidelined, victimised by the influential opportunists or forced to quit the party.