‘No one can dictate me except Imran’, says Pervez Khattak

PESHAWAR: In a blunt response to Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq over his statement on Senate elections and provincial chief executive of Khyber Pakhtonkhwa, Chief Minister KP Pervaiz Khattak says no one can give him orders, except Imran Khan.

His reaction came in the wake of Siraj-ul-Haq’s recent allegations about PTI getting order ‘from the top’ to vote for Sanjrani in the Senate Elections. “No one can dictate me except Imran Khan” said Pervaiz Khattak, adding that “whoever we sack from the party readily pledges with holy book to prove his innocence in the horse-trading matter, then who voted for the PPP,” he asked.

JI Chief recently made a surprising revelation that the KP chief minister told him that a Balochistan candidate has to be voted in for the post of Senate chairman. “I enquired the name of the candidate, but Mr. Pervez Khattak feigned ignorance and said he would convey the name once he is told about it. The name has been recommended from the top”, Siraj-ul-Haq cited the KP chief minister.

The JI chief hastened to add that he did not understand what Mr Khattak meant by “from the top”.

Reacting to JI chief’s statement, KP government spokesman Shaukat Yousufzai said: “Siraj ul Haq should not play innocent now. His party enjoyed power for five years and now he is trying to turn his back on everything.”

On March 12, Sadiq Sanjrani, an independent senator from Balochistan, was elected Senate chairman. Sanjrani secured 57 votes, while PML-N backed Raja Zafarul Haq secured 46 out of the total 103 votes cast for the seat of the Senate chairman.

Sanjrani, was backed by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).

Senate chairman is the custodian of the upper house and remains politically impartial at the time of discharging his duties. The chairman represents both the opposition and treasury benches. In absence of the President of Pakistan, Senate chairman acts as the President.