ISLAMABAD: In another U-turn, PTI founding chairman Imran Khan has directed the party’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa head Junaid Akbar to resign as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and focus on provincial matters.
Confirming the development to Dawn, PTI’s central information secretary Sheikh Waqqas Akram said: “Khan Sahab conveyed the message through his sister Aleema Khan during the last meeting and announced that Junaid Akbar will be replaced by Omar Ayub Khan. Later, after coming out of Adiala Jail, Aleema Khan conveyed the message to Salman Akram Raja.”
According to party sources, initially Junaid Akbar had sought two days to submit his resignation, but later he agreed to step down after meeting Imran Khan.
“Fact is that when Aleema Khan met her brother, the first instruction given by Khan Sahab was to direct Junaid Akbar to resign and focus on the province. The second direction was to nominate Omar Ayub as the PAC chairman,” the sources said.
PTI’s KP head will be replaced by Omar Ayub, says Sheikh Waqqas
“However, Junaid Akbar, who previously claimed he would resign at even the slightest signal from Imran Khan, has now said he will step down only after meeting with him. The fact is that there is a consensus within the party that Aleema Khan has never lied, and the messages she conveyed on Mr Khan’s behalf have never been proven false,” they added.
When asked about the reason for seeking the resignation, the sources said that Junaid Akbar had stopped paying attention to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa despite being the head of PTI’s provincial chapter. “He started calling meetings of the party’s provincial wings in the Parliament House or KP House in Islamabad. Mr Khan was aware of this, and that is why he has decided to send him back to the province by directing him to step down as PAC chairman,” they said.
The sources further said the PTI had announced the decision to hold ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ rallies across the province. “Rallies were held across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but not a single rally was organised in Batkhela, from where Junaid Akbar belongs,” they added.
It is worth mentioning that in January this year, Mr Akbar was elected unopposed as chairman of the PAC. In the same month, he was appointed by Imran Khan as the president of PTI’s KP chapter, replacing Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.
After the general elections, the PTI made several U-turns over nominating a candidate for the post of PAC chairman. Initially, Sher Afzal Marwat was nominated, followed by the names of Sheikh Waqas Akram and Omar Ayub Khan. Ultimately, Junaid Akbar’s name was finalised for the post.
Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2025
