PESHAWAR: In yet another setback for the troubled Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, party chief Imran Khan Wednesday issued a strong advisory to pull out from the coalition with Qaumi Watan Party (QWP).

Chief Minister Pervez Khattak earlier sacked two ministers belonging to the QWP over poor performances and corruption, PTI’s media cell confirmed.

Minister for Communication and Works Yusuf Ayub of PTI has also been removed from the cabinet for possessing fake degree. Ayub had lost his final appeal in the Supreme Court earlier in the day against decision of an election tribunal in Abbottabad which disqualified him.

Minister for Labour and Manpower Bakht Baidar and Minister for Environment Ibrar Hussain – both belonging to Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao’s QWP – were dropped from the provincial cabinet over allegedly being involved in corruption.

According to a statement issued by the PTI media cell, Imran Khan said the QWP was given two warnings about corruption of the two ministers.

“However, the QWP chose to tolerate corrupt practices of their ministers and instead showed its displeasure at the corruption being pointed out by boycotting the provincial cabinet meetings.”

Khan also stated that the PTI was elected on a mandate against corruption and there was zero-tolerance for any form of corruption among the party ranks.

“This should be a clear warning for all our ministers and MPAs and PTI cannot have as a coalition partner any party that tolerates corruption,” said Khan.

“Our Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) ministers have proven exemplary in this regard and we respect them for their commitment towards anti-corruption practices,” he said praising another coalition partner of the PTI.

Meanwhile, announcing his resignation as senior provincial minister in protest, Sikandar Khan Sherpao of QWP said his party was no more part of the PTI government in KP.

He accused the PTI of following ‘anti-Pakhtun’ policies and said it was conspiring against the Pakhtun nation.

Sherpao further said that removal of the two QWP ministers on “baseless grounds” was unethical. “QWP had not been taken into confidence on ministers’ issue other wise we would have taken action against the alleged corruption of the two ministers,” he added.

– Zahir Shah Sherazi contributed to reporting from Peshawar