LOWER DIR: Awami National Party senior vice-president Ameer Haidar Khan Hoti has said his party won’t accept a ‘selected’ chief minister in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and asked as to how Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-Parliamentarians chief Pervez Khattak was claiming to be the province’s next chief executive.

He stated this while was addressing a gathering in Khall area and later talking to reporters here the other day.

ANP candidates for NA-6 Haji Bahadar Khan, NA-7 Zahid Khan, PK-14 Malik Mohammad Zeb, PK-16 Sajjad Yousafzai, ANP vice-president Hussain Shah Yousafzai and others also spoke.

ANP candidate for PK-14 Mohammad Zeb presented a Chitrali cloak, pakol and a white cap to Mr Hoti.

Mr Hoti said the people of the province had the right to elect their chief minister. He said ANP would never accept a ‘selected’ person as the CM.

Accuses ex-PTI chief ministers of being involved in big scams

He said any government imposed on the country would not be able to overcome the prevailing crises. He alleged the previous government led by Imran Khan had destroyed the country socially, politically and economically.

He said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was burdened with Rs1,000 billion loans during the nine-year rule of PTI.

Mr Hoti said if ANP formed the government in KP it would support the ruling party in the centre to get the province’s rights. He alleged two former chief ministers, namely Pervez Khattak and Mahmood Khan, were involved in Malam Jabba, Billion Tree Tsunami and BRT scams, and that they would be made accountable if ANP came to power.

CANDIDATE WITHDRAWS: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf activist and independent candidate for PK-14 Arshad Mayar on Friday withdrew in favour of the party’s nominee, former MPA Mohammad Azam Khan.

Speaking at a news conference in Timergara, he said he had decided to withdraw from the contest after a jirga of party elders convinced him to do so.

Meanwhile, PTI activist Ali Shah Mishwani, who is contesting elections on NA-6 and PK-18, on Friday asked party activists to vote for him as he was a ‘genuine soldier’ of Imran Khan.

PTI nominee for NA-6 is former MNA Mohammad Bashir Khan and former MPA Malik Liaqat Ali for PK-18.

Addressing a workers’ convention in Samarbagh, Mr Mishwani said PTI leadership had nominated him for the seat, but the decision was changed at the eleventh hour.

He said he had served the party for about 20 years and party workers in the area supported him. He said he was deprived of the party ticket in 2008, 2013 and 2018 elections.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2024