Despite several rounds of talks, the coalition partners in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government have failed to finalise distribution of portfolios. "Internal rift in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf over the distribution of portfolios is also a cause of delay in formation of provincial cabinet," an insider told Business Recorder on Thursday. The coalition partners held several rounds of talks to build consensus on allocation of education portfolio, but these meetings always ended without any fruitful results.
Sources in PTI on condition of anonymity said that the party had agreed to give education, finance, and Zakat & Ushar departments to Jamaat-i-Islami, but now it was reluctant to give education department to JI. JI Provincial Ameer Professor Ibrahim said that PTI's request to change the education portfolio was under consideration and after proper consultations a unanimous decision would be taken.
KP senior minister Siraj-ul-Haq also said that JI had not joined the ruling coalition for the sake of ministries but its objective was to carry out co-ordinated efforts for resolution of public issues and problems in the province. According to PTI sources, the party's central leadership was not ready to give education department to Jamaat-i-Islami, while the JI was also forcing the PTI to fulfil its agreement. While refuting the reports about internal rift and deadlock on allocation of education portfolio, PTI provincial president and Speaker KP Assembly Asad Qaiser said that the party had full support of its coalition partners. Deputy parliamentary leader of PTI Shaukat Yousafzai also rejected any differences among the coalition partners.