MANSEHRA: The local chapter of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has held federal minister Azam Khan Swati responsible for differences within the party and decided to ‘follow merit’ in the appointment of cabinet members to five tehsils of Mansehra district.

“Mr Swati had appointed Shahzada Gustasib Khan as the district president without taking party workers and lawmakers into confidence but he left the party seeking a big opportunity anywhere else,” PTI district information secretary Aziz Bhatti told reporters on Monday.

Mr Bhatti said the PTI regional cabinet had decided about the naming of the party’s office-bearers in all five tehsils of Mansehra district, including Mansehra, Balakot, Oghi, Baffa-Pakhal and Darband.

Party’s regional cabinet decides to make appointments on ‘merit’

He said the decision was made during a meeting chaired here by PTI regional president Ali Asghar Khan and attended by MPA Babar Saleem Swati, former regional president Zargul Khan, district general secretary Taimur Saleem Swati, former provincial assembly contender Zahida Sabeel and other leaders.

The PTI information secretary said the party didn’t have tehsil bodies in Mansehra district for a long time due internal differences, which also forced district president Shahzada Gustasib Khan to quit the party.

He said the regional cabinet decided to announce names of the party’s presidents and general secretaries after voting in the district cabinet meeting.

Mr Bhatti insisted that federal minister Azam Khan Swati was responsible for differences in the party.

He said the meeting didn’t discuss the resignation of Shahzada Gustasib and decided that the former district president won’t be contacted for withdrawing resignation.

MAN KILLED: A man was killed by his brothers-in-law in Maddin area here on Monday.

Mohammad Faizan and Mohammad Touqeer opened fire on Faiz Khan after heated exchanges as the latter visited the former’s house to take his estranged wife home.

Faiz Khan died of critical injuries on the way the King Abdullah Teaching Hospital.

The police registered an FIR and arrested both the accused.

Also, the police arrested a man after seizing over 4,000 grammes of charas.

They claimed that Mohammad Haris held in Thakra area used to sell charas along with cooked rice.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2020