PTI Parliamentarians’ Journey Back Home
After the events of May, where leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) diverged paths across the country, senior leaders from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also reshaped their loyalties. Notably, among them were former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s close associates, Pervez Khattak and former Chief Minister Mahmood Khan. Pervez Khattak not only formed his separate party under the name of PTI Parliamentarians but also began making statements specifically against Imran Khan and PTI.
However, following PTI’s success in the February 8 elections and the dismal performance of PTI parliamentarians, the situation took a complete turn. Pervez Khattak resigned from the party leadership and shifted his allegiance to former Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan. Under Mahmood Khan’s leadership, not only did he begin expressing support for Imran Khan, but also extended an offer of inclusion to independent Members of Provincial Assembly (MPAs) from PTI on specific seats within their party.
Mahmood Khan, during a media interaction in Swat on April 4, stated, “PTI is like my home, and leaving it makes me feel disheartened. Imran Khan was my leader before and will always remain so. We didn’t leave PTI to join another party, but to form our own.”Chairman of the PTI parliamentarians, Mahmood Khan, revealed, “We extended the offer to independent hopefuls from PTI to join us because we want to promote democracy.”
Do PTI Parliamentarians Want to Return to PTI?
According to the spokesperson of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf parliamentarians, Ziaullah Bangash, speaking to Urdu News, their stance is that “our leader is Imran Khan. If negotiations occur, PTI will be our first preference because Imran Khan’s ideology is our ideology. If talks with PTI fail, we will remain associated with PTI parliamentarians but will not consider joining any other party.”
According to them, “Pervez Khattak’s departure from PTI was a wrong decision in my life. Pervez Khattak drowned himself, and he dragged us down with him.” They further stated that “Negotiations with PTI had occurred even under Mahmood Khan’s leadership before, which couldn’t succeed due to unknown reasons.” According to PTI parliamentarians’ spokesperson, Pervez Khattak is no longer associated with the party.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Reconciliation: Closed Doors?
According to Advocate Mazhar Butt, the party has a certain mechanism in place to deal with such situations. “For instance, which personalities left the party willingly, and who was compelled to leave through coercion or threats will be examined based on facts. After that, provincial leadership will assess these cases.” Mazhar Butt stated, “The accused member will be given a chance to present their case because the party is strong from within, and the party leadership wants clarity for everyone.”
Analyst’s Opinion:
Senior journalist Tariq Wahid from Peshawar believes that “The formation of PTI parliamentarians was forced, and its existence is now in jeopardy after the worst defeat in elections. Pervez Khattak made big claims before the elections because he was confident of winning seats in the province. However, after the unexpected election results, he distanced himself from politics.”
“It seems unlikely for Pervez Khattak to return to PTI because the party leadership is against him, but there is a soft corner for Mahmood Khan in PTI. Mahmood Khan hasn’t made any statements against Imran Khan or PTI. Even after leaving the party, he didn’t criticize anyone. Mahmood Khan’s return is possible.”
Tariq Wahid also mentioned, “PTI might desire the return of other parliamentarians, but now PTI doesn’t need them.” “It’s also challenging for those who left the party during difficult times because PTI has a strong stance against such members. So, I don’t think they’ll find a place,” he added. It’s evident that former Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry, in his recent statement, mentioned that “PTI knows them well, if Imran Khan accepts them, it’s okay, otherwise they should stay at home.”
