Khattak shown the door for supporting rival candidate

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehrik-e-insaf (PTI) has expelled from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) cabinet Liaquat Khatak, brother of Defence Minister Pervez Khatak, for going against his party’s candidate in the Nowshera by-election.

The two Khatak brothers were opposed to each other in the by-poll, which, some believe, led to the defeat of the PTI nominee.

PML-N’S Ikhtaiar Wali defeated PTI candidate Omar Kakakhel with a margin of over 4,000 votes.

The KP government acted within hours of the PTI’S defeat in PK-63 by-polls and sacked irrigation minister Liaquat Khatak for supporting the PML-N candidate in the polls.

Liaquat was at odds with his elder brother and ruling PTI over the denial of PK-63 election ticket to his son, Ahad, for several months.

In a video message, KP government spokesman Kamran Bangash said Chief Minister Mahmood Khan had sought a report regarding Liaquat’s support to the PML-N in the PK-63 by-polls. He said the report established that Liaquat and his family had campaigned against the PTI candidate.

The spokesman said Prime Minister Imran Khan was consulted on the mater and ater his approval, Liaquat was sacked from the cabinet.

However, PTI information secretary Najiullah Khatak ruled out any immediate disciplinary action against Liaquat for his actions.

He said that such a decision would be taken by the party ater thoroughly reviewing the situation, which would take a bit of time.

The reports of bad blood in the Khatak clan had been doing the rounds for several months and they’re fuelled by the denial of the PK-63 ticket to Liaquat’s son.

The PK-63 seat had fallen vacant ater PTI lawmaker Mian Jamsheduddin Kakakhel died of COVID-19.

Pervez preferred Kakakhel’s son, Mian Omar, over his nephew, Ahad, for by-polls leading to bickering in the family, which led to the ultimate batering of Pervez’s image of invincibility in Nowshera politics, which he had grown so used to boast of late.