PESHAWAR: Deadlock between the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), the former ruling party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the opposition alliance in the erstwhile provincial assembly persists over consultation for caretaker chief minister as both stakeholders have refused to talk to each other.

However, both sides are holding their own meetings to finalise names for the caretaker CM.

“Opposition leader Akram Khan Durrani has made it clear that he will not sit with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan for any consultation. On the other hand, the CM too is reluctant to do so,” a senior PTI member told Dawn on Thursday, requesting anonymity.

The opposition alliance met at the residence of Awami National Party’s (ANP) senior leader Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour on Wednesday night.

No details of the discussion were shared.

Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, spokesman for the previous PTI government, said meetings were going on and the opposition might be consulted after PTI finalised the list of its candidates for CM.

Party-level deliberations on the issue under way

“Consultation within the party is going on and some names have been discussed, including some former judges and retired bureaucrats, but nothing is finalised as yet,” Mr Saif told Dawn.

He said PTI knew the opposition is also holding meetings to finalise their list, but alleged it wanted to spoil the situation.

“We won’t sit with the opposition and ultimately the decision about the caretaker CM will be made by the Election Commission of Pakistan,” he said.

Another PTI leader, however, termed consultation between CM Khan and Durrani a constitutional requirement.

“I don’t think the chief minister plans to ignore the opposition leader. Yes, differences or failing to reach a consensus cannot be ruled out, but remarks that the chief minister will not talk to the opposition leader is something which I don’t believe,” KP Assembly’s former deputy speaker Mahmood Jan said.

“Under the Constitution, both [CM Khan and Durrani] are bound to consult with each other,” he added.

Salahuddin Momand, former MPA from ANP, said his party had nominated Zafrullah Khan for the caretaker CM but consultation among the opposition parties was still under way.

“Our provincial president Aimal Wali Khan has finalised Zafrullah Khan as ANP’s candidate, but consultation with our allies is still going on,” Mr Momand said, adding “a final decision is likely to take some time”.

Former cabinet members Shaukat Yousafzai, Shahram Khan Tarakai and Atif Khan, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam’s Akram Durrani, Jamaat-i-Islami’s Inayatullah Khan, Pakistan Peoples Party’s Ahmad Kundi, Nighat Orakzai and Pakistan Muslim League-N’s Ikhtyar Wali could not be reached for their comment despite repeated attempts.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2023