LAHORE: Taking a bold step after reported ‘rebellion’ in the party’s Azar Kashmir chapter, PTI Chairman Imran Khan installed new party leadership after a majority of the party’s parliamentary members failed to show up for a crucial party huddle.
Reacting to the no-show, Khan removed former AJK PM and PTI leader Tanvir Ilyas from the party presidency and installed Sardar Abdul Qayoom Niazi as the new president of PTI AJK, and Khawaja Farooq Ahmad as the Opposition Leader in the Legislative Assembly.
Informed sources told media that Imran Khan was seriously put off by the absence of President AJK Barrister Sultan Mahmood, former prime minister AJK Tanvir Ilyas, new Prime Minister Chaudhary Anwarul Haq, and other members of the group from the meeting.
During the meeting, Khan emphasized that the people of AJK had voted for the party manifesto and not for any individual, and urged the newly-nominated party leaders to serve and work for the people while representing them from the opposition benches.
The party meeting, held in Lahore, was attended by only seven members of the PTI Parliamentary Party, including former senior minister Khawaja Farooq Ahmad, former prime minister Sardar Abdul Qayoom Niazi, and others.
Taking a stern view of the situation, Imran Khan nominated Maqbool Gujjar as the candidate for the speaker of the house to contest against the joint candidate of PMLN-PPP, Chaudhary Latif Akbar.
During the meeting, Khan warned that any leader who does not cast their vote for Maqbool Gujjar would lose basic party membership. The newly-elected prime minister, Chaudhary Anwarul Haq, was declared a ‘rebel’ by the PTI meeting, which decided not to cooperate with him. The party also warned those joining his cabinet that they would be proceeded against for violation of party discipline.
