News
Thursday, November 14, 2013
KP pulls out of coalition with QWP; expels ministers over ‘corruption’* PTI says QWP given two warnings about corruption of two of their ministers but to no avail
* Sherpao seeks evidence of corruption claims
By Iqbal Khattak
PESHAWAR: The Tehreek-e-Insaf-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government pulled out of the coalition with Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) after two ministers belonging to the latter were dismissed on corruption charges.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan advised Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak to pull out of the coalition with QWP. “The QWP was given two warnings about the corruption of two of their ministers but this party chose to tolerate corruption and instead showed its displeasure at the corruption being pointed out by boycotting the provincial cabinet meetings,” a statement from the PTI media cell quoted Imran Khan as saying.
What was striking about the statement was the revelation that two of the QWP ministers were dismissed by the chief minister on Wednesday. Imran also stated that the PTI was elected on a “mandate against corruption and there is zero tolerance for any form of corruption”. “This should be a clear warning for all our ministers and MPAs that PTI cannot have as a coalition partner any party that tolerates corruption,” Imran declared, according to the statement.
“Our JI (Jamaat-e-Islami) ministers have proven exemplary in this regard and we respect them for their commitment towards anti-corruption,” Imran added. Party sources told Daily Times that the QWP leadership was meeting in Peshawar to discuss the situation arising out of the statement of the PTI chief. “We are discussing the situation,” the sources said on condition of anonymity. Earlier, the Qaumi Watan Party reacted angrily to media report that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was de-notifying two of its ministers for their alleged involvement in corruption.
“Whosoever has any evidence of the wrongdoing (of the two ministers) should share it with my party,” said a statement from QWP provincial president, Sikander Sherpao. “We will take stern action if proof is shared with us,” he said categorically in the statement. The PTI and QWP were not on good terms for the last few weeks, with Aftab Sherpao’s ministers, including Senior Minister Sikander Sherpao, staying away from official meetings and assembly sessions to protest what they called “step-motherly treatment” of the QWP by the PTI-led government.
A government official said the government had conveyed to the Qaumi Watan Party two days back that two of its ministers were (allegedly) involved in corruption and the party should remove them. “Their performance as ministers is below par.” The government’s Information Directorate chief, Behramand Khan, declined to clarify if the government had de-notified the two QWP ministers. The alleged “corrupt ministers” are QWP’s provincial General Secretary Bakht Baider Khan and Ibrar Hussain.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk