Tanveer Ilyas blames Pervez Khattak for PTI govt’s ouster in AJK
LAHORE
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to sit on opposition benches in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly as Khawaja Farooq will be leading the Opposition in the house.
The decision was taken at a meeting held with PTI chief Imran Khan in the chair. The meeting was attended by senior PTI leaders on Monday. It was also decided to take stern action against party men who violated party discipline.
During the meeting, a detailed discussion was held on the situation emerging after the election of the new AJK Prime Minister. On the occasion, PTI leadership decided that the PTI would sit on opposition benches in AJK Legislative Assembly and Khawaja Farooq was nominated as Leader of Opposition in the house.
Khawaja Farooq would call a meeting of the PTI parliamentary party meeting immediately and only the members of the Legislative Assembly participating in the parliamentary party meeting called by Khawaja Farooq would be considered as part of PTI.
It was decided that only the members sitting on the opposition seats under the leadership of Khawaja Farooq would be able to remain a part of PTI and process for expulsion from the party would be initiated against the violators of the party discipline.
During the meeting, it was decided that former AJK PM Abdul Qayyum Niazi, who was entrusted with the responsibility of the PTI AJK President, would soon complete the party organization process in the AJK.
In the wake of expelling the members of the Legislative Assembly who violated the party discipline, the process of determining the candidates at the constituency level would also be completed.
According to the sources, PTI announced its separation from the newly-elected Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar Haq while Sardar Tanveer Ilyas was also removed from the PTI presidency.
Former prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Sardar Tanveer Ilyas, has pinned blames of the ouster of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government on party stalwart Pervez Khattak.
In a video statement from Muzaffarabad, the former AJK premier said the party lost its government twice in the region, the president, and the speaker were re-elected, but never did the PTI lose even a single seat.
“We got a clear majority in the local body elections,” Ilyas said.
Mr Ilyas, who was disqualified from holding any public office in a contempt case, made the statement after he was removed as president of the PTI’s AJK chapter and PTI forward bloc and opposition’s joint candidate Chaudhry Anwarul Haq became new prime minister of the region.
The former premier claimed that it was for the first time that a government in AJK was toppled and it all happened due to interventions by Mr Khattak. He added that the PTI government was weakened through a pre-planned conspiracy.
Mr Ilyas said he would bring the issue in knowledge of party Chairman Imran Khan, adding that there would be differences with party fellows but “we are united under PTI’s flag”.
Taking a dig at the ruling coalition, he said those trying to establish their government in the region will also face defeat.
Earlier, no member of the assembly got sick or suffered from Covid-19, he claimed, adding all the dots related to the situation existed, and he will bring them to the fore.
Earlier this month, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas was disqualified by the Azad Kashmir High Court in a contempt case.
He was charged with using ‘threatening tone’ against the judiciary. The clips featuring the premier finding fault with the judiciary were played during the proceeding.
PTI losing strength in Azad Kashmir
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s manoeuvring for cementing its strength has failed to bear fruit.
The PTI was all set to meet in Zaman Park with ex-prime minister Imran Khan.
Parvez Khattak summoned the party MLAs meeting at 6 pm on April 24 through an audio message.
Of 31 MLAs, 24 skipped the meeting, sources said, adding that just seven MLAs attended the meeting with Imran Khan in the chair.
They said 12 members of AJK Prime Minister Anwar Haq’s group, four members of the Sargala group and five members of Barrister Sultan’s group did not show up.
Two members of Sardar Tanveer Ilyas reached Lahore but avoided going to Zaman Park, the insiders said.
Photographs of seven MLAs meeting Imran Khan surfaced. Khawaja Farooq, Abdul Qayyum Niazi, Sardar Muhammad Hussain, Hafiz Hamid Raza, Chaudhry Maqbool Gujjar, Dewan Ali, Muhammad Iqbal attended the Zaman Park meeting.
The scenario saddened Iman Khan and made him announce the decision to sit in the opposition benches in the AJK assembly. The reason for the loss will come to the spotlight in a few days.
