Internal differences emerge in PTI KP as several lawmakers skip meeting

Internal rifts within Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) surfaced during a meeting of the party’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa parliamentary party in Peshawar on Monday, as a significant number of lawmakers stayed away from the gathering chaired by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi at the Chief Minister’s House, Aaj News reported.

Conflicting accounts emerged over attendance at the meeting. According to party sources, more than 30 members skipped the session of the 92-member parliamentary party, leaving attendance at between 52 and 55 lawmakers.

On the other hand, government sources and Provincial Information Minister Shafi Jan claimed that around 75 members attended, while five lawmakers were unable to participate because they were outside the province.

According to sources, several members are unhappy over not being appointed to ministerial positions. Earlier, lawmakers from the southern districts had also expressed their disappointment to the chief minister on this issue.

One of the major developments was the absence of former chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur. CM Afridi reportedly appeared displeased over the large number of absent members.

The political turmoil was triggered by a heated exchange in the parliamentary party’s WhatsApp group before the meeting.

CM Afridi posted an unusually strong message in the group, which intensified the political atmosphere in the province.

In his message, Afridi wrote that an “internal general” had made promises to an “external general” and that certain elements were trying to sabotage the parliamentary party meeting.

He claimed that a senior figure within the party had assured support from 27 lawmakers and had pledged to bring down Imran Khan’s government in the province.

Afridi urged all members to reach the Chief Minister’s House by 7 p.m.

He further said that there were reports of conspiracies within the party and asked all members to set aside their engagements and remain united, as some people did not want the meeting to succeed.

Reacting sharply to these serious allegations, former chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur responded in the same WhatsApp group, objecting to accusations being made without naming anyone.

In his reply, Gandapur wrote: “Why don’t you name the person? If someone is conspiring against Imran Khan, that person should be identified.”

Criticising the chief minister, he added: “You are unable to control the province and are instead blaming others. It is not right to distribute certificates of treason among party leaders.”

He stressed that they had stood with Imran in the past and would continue to stand by him in the future.

Despite these differences, CM Afridi welcomed the lawmakers during the meeting and attempted to boost their morale.

In his address, he said that despite propaganda, the large attendance of lawmakers was clear evidence of party unity.

“No one can break the party or force it to abandon the founder’s ideology. The strong turnout for the meeting is a powerful slap in the face of opponents,” he said.

Afridi told members that the main agenda of the meeting was to discuss Imran’s health and the upcoming fiscal year’s budget. He promised that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s next budget would be entirely people-friendly.

Meanwhile, KP Information Minister Shafi Jan tried to downplay the situation, telling the media that all lawmakers remained fully united under the chief minister’s leadership.

Referring to the WhatsApp message, he said that CM Afridi had not named anyone and had merely made a general observation.

However, he issued a stern warning to anyone considering leaving the party or forming a forward bloc, saying that any provincial assembly member who joined such a bloc would find Khyber Pakhtunkhwa “too small to accommodate them.”

Separately, a six-member committee headed by former NA speaker Asad Qaiser has been formed to resolve differences within PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

According to a party statement, the committee includes Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, Ali Asghar Khan, provincial ministers Meena Khan and Akbar Ayub, and PTI Peshawar Region President Atif Khan.

The statement said the committee would serve as a coordination body among party members and act as a consultative forum for CM Afridi, the provincial president, and the Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen Pakistan.