The discontent arises as senior leaders, overlooked districts cry foul over lack of representation
PESHAWAR:
Differences within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have surfaced soon after the expansion of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa cabinet, with several party leaders and lawmakers expressing strong displeasure at being overlooked.
The controversy erupted after Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced the expansion of his cabinet. The move came almost a year after he formed a lean cabinet in 2025. Sources said the decision was made after consultations with the party’s founder, although the meeting with the chairman did not materialize before the announcement.
The expansion included six new ministers, four advisers and eight special assistants. However, the announcement sparked an immediate backlash from party members who felt left out of the game.
Abdul Ghani Afridi, a close associate of the chief minister, publicly conveyed his displeasure through a link on social media.
Former governor Shah Farman clarified on social media that no one was included in the cabinet on his recommendation, nor did he suggest any names.
Former provincial minister Shaukat Yousafzai criticized the exclusion of Shangla district, noting that although the chief minister has powers to choose his cabinet, some decisions have to be taken keeping in mind the interests of the party. He pointed out that federal minister Amir Maqam, opposition leader Dr. Ebad and Senator Niaz belong to Shangla, questioning whether ignoring the district would disappoint its people.
Several districts appear to have received disproportionate representation, while others were completely ignored. Malakand, Charsadda and Nowshera secured three slots each. In contrast, key districts including North and South Waziristan, Bannu, Orakzai, Hangu and Bajaur received no representation despite having several PTI MPAs.
Some districts got more berths: two each from Kohat, Mardan, Peshawar, Buner, Dir, Haripur, Swabi; and one each from Mohmand, Karak, Lakki Marwat, Abbottabad, Tank and Battagram.
Shakil Khan, a member of former chief minister Mahmood Khan’s cabinet and associated with the Atif Khan group, was surprisingly reinstated, sparking consternation in party circles.
Notably, the cabinet largely avoided including non-elected personalities, with only Muzzmal Aslam reportedly doing so as an exception.
The cabinet expansion has highlighted growing regional and factional fissures within the PTI in KP.
