Asghar pledges support for Imran Khan

As another political stalwart Air Marshal (r) Asghar Khan on Monday announced his support for Imran Khan, the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) experienced the first shock of internal strife when two rival groups scuffled with each other over the entry of a former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) minister in the party. Addressing a joint press conference at his residence with PTI chief Imran Khan, Tehrik-e-Istiqlal Pakistan chief Asghar Khan announced his support for Imran Khan. He also announced to resign as party chief and assured Imran Khan that the Tehreek-e-Istiqlal would support the PTI in the next general elections, as “both the parties had the same mission”.
“All elections held in past were rigged. If the PTI wants to bring a change in the country, it has to start a movement for free and fair elections,” he said. He praised Imran Khan and his party, saying, “The PTI is the only political party which can pull the country out of the existing turmoil.”
Asghar Khan said that he had filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court in 1996 against the disbursement of funds among politicians by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in 1990. “Many politicians, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif are among those who received money from the ISI. Nawaz got Rs 3.5 million from the ISI,” he alleged. He said that he had been waiting for the last several years, but the apex court was not taking up his case.
Speaking on the occasion, PTI chief Imran Khan appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan to hear Asghar Khan’s petition.
Imran said that his party would strive for the formation of a free election commission. “Earlier, the PTI launched a movement for an independent judiciary and now we will launch a campaign for an independent election commission.” To a query, Khan said that he would not accept any challenge from Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, because the PML-N leader “is a liar”. Earlier, a serious scuffle broke out between two groups over the inclusion of former KP irrigation minister Pervez Khattak in the PTI, minutes before the scheduled news conference of Imran at the PTI secretariat. Khattak was supposed to formally announce his decision to join the PTI in a press conference with Imran. However, due to the scuffle, Imran had to cancel the press conference.
The clash took place between the activists of PTI-Nowshera chapter and the supporters of Pervez Khattak. The PTI activists, led by PTI Nowshera Deputy President Sajid Gumaryani, shouted slogans against Khattak, calling him an opportunist and corrupt and terming his entry a negation of party ideology.
The slogans charged Khattak’s supporters who were also present inside the secretariat building and both the groups threw eggs, chairs and whatever office equipment they could get their hands on at each other.