ABBOTTABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has expelled its senior leader and former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister and governor, Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan, over “repeated violation of party discipline.”

A notification issued by the party’s secretary general Ahsan Iqbal stated that “in view of repeated violations of party discipline, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president has expelled Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan from PML-N with immediate effect, and his party membership is also cancelled,” the notification said.

Mr Mehtab had been nursing grudges against the party’s leadership since 2018 election over allocation of tickets as well as differences with the party’s current provincial president Amir Muqam.

However, the drastic action of expulsion of Mr Mehtab followed the Friday agreement between Mr Mehtab and his local rival, Amanullah Khan Jadoon, to support each other in the upcoming elections.

Move comes as ex-CM makes poll alliance with archrival in Abbottabad

Mr Amanullah’s son Ali Khan Jadoon, a former PTI MNA from Abbottabad, is contesting elections against PML-N’s Mahabat Khan Awan from NA-17 in the February 8 polls.

The patch-up between Mr Mehtab and Mr Amanullah Khan, who both have dominated the politics of Abbottabad since 1985, came at a jirga.

In 1988, Fareed Khan Jadoon, elder brother of Amanullah Jadoon, had won the Abbottabad NA-17 seat, and onward in 1990, 1993,1997 elections, Mr Mehtab retained the seat, which Amanullah Jadoon won in 2008.

In the 2013 election, the seat was won byPTI’s Dr Azhar Jadoon, and in 2018, Ali Khan Jadoon, elder son of Amanullah Jadoon, clinched the seat.

Mr Mehtab spent more than 40 years in PML-N, and was considered very close to party supremo Nawaz Sharif. However, some time back differences cropped up over some key decisions like appointment of party’s provincial president, his differences with former National Assembly deputy speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi and PML-N general secretary for KP, and also with Captain retired Mohammad Safdar, the son-in-law of Nawaz Sharif.

Mr Mehtab also remained PML-N senator.

Mr Mehtab is contesting election from his home constituency of NA-16 as an independent candidate. His main rival is Murtaza Javed Abbasi, who is contesting on the PML-N ticket.

After the patch-up, Mr Mehtab has opted to favour Ali Khan Jadoon, former PTI MNA, who is contesting as independent candidate from NA-17. He is vying to give tough time to PML-N’s Mohabat Awan. In return, Ali Jadoon has asked his supporters in NA-17 to support Mr Mehtab in NA-16.

Political observers are of the view that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ahmed Khan Ghani will have tough time securing the PK-45 constituency, as for the last over 15 years he had aligned with Amanullah Jadoon. But Mr Amanullah’s alliance with Mr Mehtab could spell trouble for Mr Ghani as Mr Mehtab has announced that he would support PML-N candidate Mohammad Arshad Awan from the provincial assembly seat.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2024