BAJAUR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) member provincial assembly (MPA) Engr Ajmal Khan on Saturday resigned from the office of party’s local general secretary, apparently in protest against recent award of party ticket for by-election in PK-22 against his wish, here in tribal district.

The lawmaker made the announcement in a post shared on social media.

“I’ (Engr Ajmal Khan) is resigning from the post of PTI Bajaur general secretary with immediate effect owing to unknown reasons and had informed the party provincial leadership about this act,” stated the post.

Though the MPA didn’t mention the reasons behind his resignation, it appeared a couple of days after the PTI parliamentary board had awarded ticket to Rahatullah Khan for the by-election in PK-22- Bajaur 1V on Thursday.

However, sources disclosed that Mr Khan has made the decision in protest against the PTI parliamentary board’s recent nomination of Rahatullah Khan for party ticket instead of his younger brother Gul Dad Khan (former MNA).

The sources informed that Engr Ajmal Khan was shocked after hearing that his younger brother was not considered by senior leadership for award of party ticket.

The sources mentioned that his brother Gul Dad Khan, who had lost the April 21 by-election this year on the said seat to Mubarak Zeb Khan, an independent candidate with big margins, was not interested to take part in the July 11 by-election as PTI candidate on PK-22 seat as there were about two dozen other candidates who were racing for party ticket.

However, the sources said that Gul Dad Khan, who remained MNA from 2018 to 2022, had opted to apply for the party ticket after Engr Ajmal Khan assured to get him ticket from the PTI’s parliamentary board.

However, a senior local party leader told Dawn that resignation of Engr Ajmal Khan from the post of general secretary of local PTI chapter would place a great negative impact on the party performance in the July 11 by-election, as he made the announcement at very critical time when just 17 days were remaining to the polling day.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2024