— Mahmood Khan, another former chief minister of KP, is reportedly among the 57 members of the new party
PESHAWAR: Pervez Khattak, a former aide to ex-prime minister Imran Khan, has launched a new political party named Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians (PTIP), Geo News reported on Monday, citing sources.
Prominent figures such as former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Mahmood Khan, as well as ex-lawmakers Shaukat Ali and Syed Muhammad Ishtiaq Urmar, are among at least 57 former members of the provincial parliament who are reported to have joined Khattak’s party.
This development occurs while the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) faces challenges, with its chairman Khan entangled in multiple cases and under the threat of disqualification.
Additionally, several party leaders have recently left the party following the nationwide protests against his unlawful arrest on May 9.
Former aides of Khan have also impacted his party’s standing in Punjab. In June, Jahangir Tareen, Aleem Khan, and other individuals associated with the PTI chief established the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP).
Khattak expressed his condemnation of the May 9 protests, which are being investigated. Several suspects are expected to face severe penalties, as the government and army remain committed to trying them in military courts.
“Our existence is directly linked to that of Pakistan. PTI is now completely finished in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” declared Khattak, who previously served as the PTI’s secretary general and chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
After the protests, Khattak resigned as the KP president of the party. However, earlier this week, the party dismissed him for failing to respond to a “show cause notice” issued to him.
The News reported the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had also reached out to Khattak and invited him to join their respective parties. However, he has made the decision to form his own political party instead of affiliating with any existing ones.
