Manzoor Afridi's nomination for KP's caretaker CM withdrawn

ISLAMABAD:  Two days after nomination of businessman Manzoor Afridi as caretaker chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the PTI-led provincial government on Monday withdrew his name following protest by the Opposition, ARY News reported.

During a session of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, some members accused KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and opposition leader Maulana Lutfur Rehman  of receiving money to install Afridi as caretaker chief minister.

The accusations led to ruckus in the assembly, forcing the government to withdraw his nomination. PTI leaders also informed party chairman Imran Khan about the situation.

A fresh round of consultations between the government and opposition to pick a consensus caretaker chief minister is likely to take place soon.

Afridi’s name was reportedly  mooted by the K-P government and later both the CM and opposition leader reached agreement over the name.

The chief minister is also said to have held consultations with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief over the caretaker set-up.

Manzoor Afridi is the younger brother of Ayub Afridi, who was recently elected as member of the Senate on PTI ticket.

He hails from Khyber Agency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and is a non-political figure.