Despite recent reports suggesting that Pervez Khattak would be joining Jahangir Tareen’s newly formed political entity, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader denied having any interaction with the Istihkam-e-Pakistan Party’s (IPP) chief.
In a Twitter message, the former defense minister clarified, “I want to make it clear that I have no intention of affiliating with any other political party, nor have I had any meetings with Jahangir Khan Tareen. The ongoing news circulating in the media about me is unfounded and completely false.”
Earlier, speculation suggested that Khattak was likely to be appointed as the secretary general of the newly-established IPP. Khattak stated that he neither received nor accepted an offer for the secretary general position in Tareen’s party, adding that he continues collaborating with his provincial colleagues.
This news comes two weeks after Khattak publically announced his decision to step down as the president of PTI’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter. Despite this, a close associate of the PTI leader dismissed rumors of his departure from PTI as mere “propaganda.”
Jahangir Tareen, a significant contributor to PTI’s rise to power in 2018 and a trusted confidant of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, officially unveiled his new party. He expressed his commitment to improving the country through his political involvement.
Tareen and Khattak are not the only ex-PTI members linked to this new party. Several other PTI defectors, especially those who split from Khan following the chaos on May 9, have allied with Tareen.
Read: PTI Dismisses Jahangir Tareen’s Newly Formed Istihkam-e-Pakistan Party