Pervez Khattak officially launches new party

Former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister and ex-PTI leader Pervez Khattak officially announced the launch of a new political party on Monday called the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarian (PTI-P). The move serves as a heavy blow to the PTI as at least 57 provincial and national assembly members including former governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mehmood Khan have joined the new party. Notably, this includes the likes of Ishtiaq Armar, Ziaullah Bangash, Ghazan Jamal, Agha Gandapur, Ahtesham Javed, Ahmed Hussain Shah, Falak Naz, Ibrahim Khattak, Malik Javed, and Arbab Waseem among others. Earlier, the former ruling party had terminated the basic party membership of former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister and senior party leader Pervez Khattak over allegations of inciting the party members to revolt. “With reference to the show cause notice served to you earlier dated June 21, 2023, you have not provided a satisfactory reply within the given stipulated time regarding contacting party members and inciting them to leave the party. Read Pervez Khattak steps down from PTI post “Now, therefore, you are served with this notice of termination from your basic membership of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Your membership from PTI has been terminated with immediate effect,” read the notice issued by the party’s secretary general, Omar Ayub Khan, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, on Wednesday. Last month, PTI Peshawar Deputy Secretary Information Khalid Khan Supari revealed that Khattak was in contact with party leaders for the past several days and was trying to convince them to leave the party. Khattak had served as the K-P chief minister as well as the defence minister during the PTI government's tenure. It should be noted that Khattak announced his resignation from all PTI positions during a news conference in Islamabad in May. He condemned the incidents of May 9 and called for action against those who were responsible. Subsequently, Khattak refuted reports of his separation from the PTI, asserting that he remained a part of the party but had resigned from his posts. However, mere days after the PTI terminated his membership, Khattak said he would launch PTI-P. Sources familiar with the development said that Khattak has also finalised the flag for the new outfit carved out of the PTI by assembling his former party colleagues, and is expected to announce the formal launch this week.