PESHAWAR: The Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) have again entered into an agreement to share power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, almost 20 months after the former was thrown out of the province’s ruling coalition on corruption charges.

The agreement signing ceremony took place in Islamabad on Tuesday, while a handout issued in the provincial capital said the QWP would rejoin the provincial government under that deal.

The agreement was signed by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and QWP parliamentary leader in the provincial assembly Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao. Jahangir Khan Tareen and Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli, general secretaries of PTI and QWP respectively, affirmed the agreement.

While Sikandar Sherpao told reporters that they were least interested in ministries, a party insider insisted the PTI had agreed to adjust two QWP members as ministers and two others as special assistants to the chief minister.

The seven-point memorandum of understanding said both parties had mutually agreed to enter into an open-ended coalition and strategic partnership as a part of which the QWP had accepted the PTI offer to join the provincial government as coalition partner.

Agreement signed 20 months after QWP was expelled from province’s ruling coalition on corruption charges

It said the QWP-PTI coalition would be beneficial for both parties and would at further strengthening good governance in KP and shall extend beyond provincial government and continue after the terms of current national and provincial assemblies.

The parties have also agreed to form a liaison committee comprising two members each from both parties, to be nominated within 15 days of the MoU signing.

The committee would meet once a month and all future disputes and issues between both parties including without limitation any allegation against any member of either party which may affect the coalition would be referred to the committee.

It said in case of the committee failing to resolve an issue, it would be sent to the chief minister and QWP parliamentary leader to decide the matter.

It also said the QWP parliamentary leader would hold regular meetings with the chief minister to discuss issues related to governance in KP and apprise him of progress and issues related to departments under the charge of his party.

It also said both parties have decided they would act in good faith towards each other and in accordance with norms and dynamics of coalition government during the term of coalition and adhere to the highest standard of the governance. The MoU also carried an annexure ‘Agenda’ detailing 13 points from the QWP, which the PTI said it fully agrees with.

QWP provincial general secretary Hasham Babar told Dawn that it was an ‘open-ended’ agreement.

He said no decision had yet to be made about portfolios to be given to QWP members.

Babar said there was a likelihood that incumbent ministers would not lose their portfolios and that those currently held by the chief minister would be given to QWP members.

He said though the ministries issue would be decided later, the departments like irrigation, mines and higher education had come under discussion.

However, another QWP official requesting anonymity told Dawn that the party was likely to get four cabinet berths including irrigation, mines and minerals, industries and home and tribal affairs.

The official said party’s parliamentary leader Sikandar Hayat Sherpao, general secretary Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli, Abdul Karim Khan Tordher and Arshad Khan were likely to get inducted into the cabinet.

Interestingly, former provincial minister for labour, industries and commerce and senior QWP leader Bakht Baidar Khan had served a defamation notice of Rs1 billion on PTI chief Imran Khan for tarnishing his reputation in a local court.

However, QWP provincial information secretary Tariq Khan told Dawn that it was not a big issue as Baidar had approached the court in his personal capacity and that he would withdrawal his defamation suit.

The QWP has earlier been a part of PTI led government when it took charge after May 2013 general elections in the province.

However, PTI chief Imran Khan expelled QWP two ministers on November 9, 2013, accusing them of involvement in corruption.

Our Staff Reporter from Islamabad adds: QWP chief Aftab Sherpao told Dawn that his party had signed MoU with the PTI to collectively struggle for the rights of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“The issue in focus is not of joining the KP government but of standing together for our people, who over the years have been suffering due to the ongoing war on terrorism.”

The issue of Fata reforms, denial of KP’s due share in the National Finance Commission Award and the provincial government’s concerns about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor were the key issues for which both the QWP and PTI will formulate a collective strategy in line with the MoU.

Published in Dawn, September 30th , 2015

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