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PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led coalition in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) might be making room to accommodate the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on the treasury benches.
If it joins, the PPP will be the fifth coalition partner in the K-P government. Its legislators will sit on treasury benches after a final nod of approval from PPP K-P president Anwar Saifullah Khan, said people familiar with the matter. Saifullah Khan is currently not in the country.
Insiders shared the PTI K-P leadership asked PPP leaders to join the coalition even before the government was formed in the province.
“It was on these grounds that PPP’s four ministers in the K-P Assembly backed Pervez Khattak’s candidature for the chief ministerial slot instead of supporting the opposition’s candidate Maulana Lutfur Rehman,” said a PPP member wishing to remain anonymous.
Currently the coalition includes the Qaumi Watan Party (QWP), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan (AJIP), in addition to the PTI. A number of independent MPAs are also enjoying official status in return of joining the PTI after the May general elections. “After PPP’s induction in the coalition, all four of its MPAs could become advisors or special assistants to the chief minister (CM),” he added.
Under the 18th Amendment there is no room to offer a ministerial slot to the PPP MPAs; they might be offered posts such as parliamentary secretary or chairperson of district development advisory committees. “This would afford them official perks and privileges.”
As the induction depends on the PPP’s K-P president, the upper echelons of the PTI have tried to please the Saifullah family from Lakki Marwat. They awarded the PTI ticket for NA-27 Lakki Marwat to Saifullah Khan’s nephew Jehangir Saifullah to contest the August 22 by-elections against JUI-F candidate Maulana Attaur Rehman.
CM Khattak is already on good terms with PPP leaders, especially provincial president Anwar Saifullah Khan, pointed out the PPP insider. After the 2008 general elections, Khattak first switched over from PPP-Sherpao to PPP Parliamentarian. Later, with Saifullah Khan’s support Khattak worked as an anti-Awami National Party (ANP) group within the party. Differences divided former coalition partners ANP and PPP in the previous government’s last days.
Adding to the alphabet soup: PPP may join PTI-led coalition in province – The Express Tribune