ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership on Thursday distanced itself from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s announcement of a protest on the occasion of presentation of budget in the National Assembly on June 10.
On Geo News’ show Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath, the host noted that on the occasion of budget session, the KP chief minister announced a protest, but this protest seemed to be suffering from differences within the PTI itself. PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said the party did not know about this planned protest. He added that he had also talked to the party Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and senior party member Aamir Dogar and asked whether any such consultation had been held and they expressed their ignorance about it.
Responding to the statement made by the party’s information secretary, KP Information Minister Shafi Jan said the PTI had no option left and was thinking of resigning from the assemblies. He said Sheikh Waqas Akram had been absent for a long time and should come out and make responsible statements.
Shafi Jan contended: “Our protest will be against the injustices to be done against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the upcoming budget. Whenever [then CM] Ali Amin Gandapur used to take any decision, Sheikh Waqas used to fully support it. Now Chief Minister Sohail Afridi is free in his decisions.”
Shafi Jan said Sohail Afridi was in touch with everyone and that they would protest outside the National Assembly on June 10, and all the MPs would be present. He also clarified that Sohail Afridi was not suffering from any problem and had announced the protest against this budget because they were seeing discrimination from the federation.
On Sheikh Waqas’s statement, the chief minister reportedly said that Waqas should not become a “tool” of someone. In return, Sheikh Waqas contended that the chief minister was suffering from frustration and that he had announced the protest without having consultation.
