Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lawmaker from Charsadda and former provincial law minister, Sultan Khan, has parted ways with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and confirmed plans to join the Awami National Party (ANP).
Sultan Khan was a member of KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan’s cabinet and sacked over a house trading video scandal that surfaced last year.
The ANP confirmed the development, saying that the PTI member – along with his family and supporters – would formally join the ANP today (Saturday).
ANP spokesperson Samar Haroon Bilour issued an invitation to the media, saying that Sultan would announce his decision at a press conference along with ANP provincial president Amal Wali Khan at his residence in the Rajar area of Charsadda.
“Respected media persons, you are kindly invited to cover a press conference to be held in Charsadda, in which former law minister and MPA Sultan Khan will announce [his decision] to join ANP, along with Amal Khan,” the invitation read.
Three days ago, Amal Wali met Sultan Khan and his family elders at Sultan Khan’s residence.
Later, the MPA from PK-58 himself confirmed that he had decided to join the ANP.
“Yes, I have decided to join ANP and … will make the announcement,” he said.
“I, my family and supporters, after thorough discussions, have made the decision,” he added.
When asked why he said goodbye to the PTI, Sultan Khan said that he would “talk in detail” at the press conference.
Sultan tendered his resignation from the provincial cabinet in February last year, minutes after the chief minister tweeted that he had asked him to do so over his “alleged appearance in a video” leaked on social media.
The purported video, shared on Twitter by PTI’s official account, showed some parliamentarians sitting before and counting stacks of cash reportedly ahead of the Senate elections in 2018.
In his handwritten resignation letter, shared by KP CM Mahmood Khan on Twitter, Sultan said he felt “it was his moral duty and obligation to withdraw from the cabinet and offer my resignation”. He also expressed the hope that “justice will be done” and that he would be able to clear his name.
