Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on Wednesday sent packing three provincial ministers for alleged involvement in corrupt practices, poor performance and a fake degree.
The suspended ministers are Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Yousuf Ayub Khan and Qaumi Watan Party’s (QWP) Malik Ibrar Hussain Khan and Bakht Bedar.
The PTI minister was also declared ineligible by the Supreme Court for holding a fake degree, which ostensibly led to his removal from the government office.
Yousuf Ayub was the minister for communications and works, Bedar was minister for industries, commerce and technical education and Malik was minister for environment.
Earlier on November 8, PTI Chairman Imran Khan had urged Khattak to investigate corruption in the province.
Investigations against other ministers, including Health Minister Shaukat Yousafzai and Education Minister Atif Khan are underway.
According to PTI’s sources, QWP’s Malik Ibrar and Bakht Bedar were sacked over the corruption charges. “The ministers belonging to allied parties were sacked over poor performance and involvement in illegal practices,” the sources said, adding that the PTI minister was expelled due his fake degree.
However, Bakht Bedar rejected the allegation saying there was no evidence against him for alleged corruption.
QWP chief Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao in a statement said that they were not taken into confidence by PTI leaders in this decision. “If they (PTI leaders) having some proofs then they need to share with us. In such a case, we will become part of the decision,” he said, adding that the QWP high command would discuss the matter and future course of action in a meeting.
SC DISMISSES PLEA:
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea filed by Yousuf Ayub against his disqualification.
The Election Tribunal had declared Yousuf Ayub ineligible over his fake degree. The PTI’s MPA had filed a plea in the SC against the decision of tribunal.
The apex court on Wednesday upheld the verdict of ET and dismissed the petition of Yousuf Ayub. Yousuf Ayub was elected as an MPA from PK-50 Haripur-II.
