PTI’s internal accountability committee on Sunday gave a clean chit to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, dismissing allegations of illegal appointments in the provincial assembly.

In February, PTI central vice president Azam Khan Swati levelled corruption charges against lawmakers of Mansehra district. Earlier this month, Babar publicly rubbished the accusations, deepening the rift in PTI’s Mansehra chapter.

According to a report issued today by committee member and prominent legal expert Advocate Qazi Anwar, the accusations were initially made by former senator Azam Swati.

However, he failed to substantiate his claims or provide any concrete evidence to the committee.

Interestingly, the report clarified that the Azam Swati in question is not the same individual who was previously jailed, emphasising that this is a different person with the same name.

The report further noted that the appointments in question were either made before Babar’s tenure or were carried out in accordance with the rules.

The committee’s report concluded that the allegations appear to be politically motivated, stating that Babar is being targeted for his loyalty to the party leadership.

On April 5, PTI MPA Akramullah Ghazi claimed that the party’s accountability committee had cleared him, Babar and other lawmakers of corruption charges.

“The PTI’s accountability panel has given me, Babar Swati and other assembly members a clean chit after accepting our responses to corruption allegations levelled by former senator Azam Khan Swati,” Ghazi told reporters.