PESHAWAR: The launching of a new political party under the name of PTI Parliamentarians (PTIP) announced by former Chief Minister Pervez Khattak here Monday was considered a major political blow to Imran Khan’s hate-based politics after 57 ex-assembly members and founding members quit PTI on Monday.
With the joining of former Chief Minister KP Mahmood Khan, former MNAs Shaukat Ali, Imran Khattak and Environment Minister Syed Ishtiaq Urmar and 53 other ex-assembly members and veteran politicians in Pervez Khattak’s party, the political observers said that Imran Khan’s PTI has been almost finished in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa today.
“Majority of politicians that joined Pervez Khattak party today are electables and it would be very difficult for Imran to win seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the upcoming general election, ” said Wajid Ali Khan, former Environment Minister and ANP leader while talking to reporter.
The joining of PTI Parliamentarians by former Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, former National and KP Assembly lawmakers Syed Ishtiaq Urmar, Ziaullah Bangash, Malik Wajid, Arbab Wasim, Imran Khattak, Shaukat Ali, Sher Akbar Khan, Ghazan Jamal and others have testified that Imran Khan’s politics was over in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa forever.
“Mahmood Khan had served as PTI’s Swat President, Ishtiaq Urmar PTI’s Peshawar President and Pervez Khattak remained PTI KP President and their separation has proved the last nail in the coffin of PTI, ” said Wajid.
“Imran Khan’s legacy is hate, negativity and accusations. Imran has pushed the country several years back and destroyed social values besides promoting the culture of intolerance and nepotism in society. That is why the founder PTI leaders left him today in Peshawar, ” he said.
He said in the presence of strong political parties of ANP, PMLN, PPP and JUIF, it would be very difficult for Imran Khan’s party to regroup and win seats after the electable said food bye to his hallow-based negative politics in KP.
Wajid Ali Khan said that Imran Niazi had made tall claims to eliminate corruption but failed completely, adding PTI government has closed down its own created Ehtesab Commission while the billion trees project was taken over by NAB KP.
Professor Dr A H Hilali, former Chairman Political Science Department, at the University of Peshawar, told reporter that the ransacking of public and private properties and attacks on defence installations during the May 9 vandalism have widened the gap between Pakistan Tehrik e Insaf and Pervez Khattak group that split the party into two groups in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa today.
He said a red line has been drawn between the supporters of democracy and attackers of the government and defence installations of Radio Pakistan Peshawar and Jinnah House Lahore during May 9 vandalism and its negative consequences would continue to haunt Imran Khan for many years to come.
He said attacks on defence installations and statues of the defenders of Pakistan have exposed the real faces of attackers and abetters, adding the entire nation stood up for the support of the armed forces of Pakistan.
“The arrest of political leaders was not a new thing in the subcontinent including in Pakistan as in the past former prime ministers Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, and former President Asif Ali Zardari have faced jails with steadfastness.”
He said it was unprecedented that violent protests and attacks on the Govt and defence installations were made by the horde of a political party after the arrest of Imran Khan.
“The big mistake made by Imran Khan was closing doors of dialogue with the opposition and poor foreign policy of his government that resulted in the downfall of his Govt and split of PTI in groups, ” he said.
Whether PTI was in government or opposition, Imran Khan has always shown the same attitude toward political rivals and made mock-ups of senior politicians which was an indecent approach to being the country’s prime minister at that time.
He said Imran Khan should seriously think about his way of politics that why founding leaders including former Governor Sindh Imran Ismail and Sindh PTI President Ali Zaidi, former Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, former Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, ex-federal minister Shereen Mazari and many others stalwarts have parted ways from PTI.
Hamza Khan, PMLN Nowshera district President said that May 9 vandalism and hate-based politics have destroyed Imran Khan’s politicking and have restricted him to Zaman Park Lahore.
He said the launching of Pervez Khattak’s party has made it crystal clear that the days of Imran Niazi were over and has no rule in future politics.
Hamza Khan said that Imran Khan has ruined social values and the country’s image abroad. The Tosha Khana case exposed the alleged corrupt practices of the former ruler, who deceived people in the name of change for 9 years in KP.
He said Imran has fostered a culture of hatred and fascism in domestic politics, which caused irreparable damage to the economy of Pakistan.
The political observers said that more politicians would likely quit PTI before the election and it is very difficult for Imran Niazi to field candidates in all constituencies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after the formation of PTIP.