- Asmatullah meets CM Khattak in Peshawar
MPA Maulana Asmat Ullah – a leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F from Kohistan – announced to join the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), a ruling party in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
According to an official handout, Asmatullah, elected from PK-62 Kohistan-II, has announced joining of PTI in a meeting with Chief Minister Pervez Khattak. On this occasion, the lawmaker also announced resignation from his assembly seat.
It further states that PTI Hazara region convener Zar Gul Khan will contest by elections on the provincial assembly seat, being vacated by Asmatullah. Zar Gul belongs to Tor Ghar district but the official statement stated that elders from all five tribes agreed on unopposed election of Zar Gul.
Haji Zarin Gul Khan, elder brother of Zar Gul, is already occupying a berth in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly from native Tor Ghar district and associated with the JUI-F of Fazlur Rehman. Asmatullah was first elected to the provincial assembly on JUI-F in 1990 elections and was one amongst the proposers of Senator Khalilur Rahman, commonly known as Commander Khalil, who had later served as the provincial governor.
Later, he had retained the seat on the JUI-S ticket in 1993 general elections and remained minister in Pir Sabir Shah government. Later, he made a contribution in Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao’s attempts of toppling Sabir Shah government in April 1994. At that time, Pervez Khattak (now the chief minister) was one amongst confidential aides of Aftab Sherpao.
According to some insiders, Zar Gul after electing to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly in by-elections will focus on maximum development of the Kohistan district. It is not a first ever summersault on the part of Asmatullah, as he had earlier switched over to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-S of Maulana Samiul Haq.