Khattak says PM enjoying best relations with institutions

NOWSHERA: Federal Minister for Defence and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) KP chapter chief Pervez Khattak said on Sunday Prime Minister Imran Khan enjoyed the best relations with the state institutions.

“There is no truth to the reports of a deal. The government will complete its constitutional office term,” he said while talking to the reporters during his visit to his hometown of Nowshera.

There have been reports in the media in recent days about a possible deal

being struck with the former three-time prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif.

But the Pervez Khattak insisted that these reports were nothing more than rumours and some elements with vested interest were behind such, what he branded as, propaganda.

The PTI is still the biggest political party of the country.” Though the party received a number of seats in the first phase of the local government elections in

KP, yet the tally was not up to our expectations,” he admitted.

The defence minister said the prime minister had tasked him with reorganizing and strengthening the party for the second phase of the grassroots level polls.

“We will contest the next phase of the local government elections with full preparation and route the rival parties at the ballot,” he expressed optimism.

Pervez Khattak said the PTI workers would be consulted while awarding the party tickets to the aspirants in the coming round of the local government elections slated for March, this year.

He felt that his recent visit to the Hazara division and meetings with the party workers were a big success. “The workers are actively taking part in the party activities and are with the PTI,” added the minister whose remarks at a party workers convention in the divisional headquarters of Abbottabad had annoyed the party workers and triggered a protest there as well.

About the reorganisation of the ruling party, Pervez Khattak said the exercise would be launched from the lowest tier of the village/ neighbourhood councils.

“The party’s organisations at the village/neighbourhood councils would be asked to elect district and provincial level bodies,” he explained.

The defence minister was critical of the opposition political parties-PMLN, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUIF), Awami National Party (ANP) - and accused them of doing nothing for the common people when they were in power.

He especially took to task the PMLN and the PPP by accusing them of snatching bread, cloth and shelter (Roti, Kapra aur Makaan) from the poor people when these parties had the opportunities to rule the country from time to time.

Pervez Khattak said the ANP always claimed to practise pro-Pakhtun politics but acted otherwise while in power.

“The province was facing bomb blasts and other terror incidents when the ANP was in power. This party bartered away the rights of the Pakhtuns,” he added.

The defence minister said that the country was now peaceful and progressing well under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan.