Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan Tuesday finalized the name of former provincial education minister Atif Khan for the post of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister. Media reports had it the decision was made at a high-level consultation meeting which Imran presided over to finalize names for nominees from the party for Punjab and KP's chief ministerial slots and also for Federal Cabinet.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Jehangir Khan Tareen, Asad Umar and Pervez Khattak also attended the meeting. During the meeting, Imran Khan nominated Atif Khan for although former CM Pervez Khattak is also lobbying for former speaker Asad Qaisar to be named as CM. The names of Mohammad Ishtiaq Urmar and Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra were put forward by the party.
Earlier on Monday, in a bid to show strength in number game to the party's leadership, a meeting was held by Khattak in Peshawar's Speaker House with MPAs-elect. At least 42 members of the assembly were present; however, Shehram Tarkai and Atif Khan did not attend the meeting. Khattak had overtly rejected 'reckless' news attributed to him that he would quit politics if office of KP CM was not awarded to him.
He adopted the stance that only Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan would announce the name in this regard. However, he hastened to add that name for KP CM has not been finalized thus far. Dispelling statements attributed to him, the former KP chief minister maintained that the rumours of factions within PTI were nothing but fake. "Khan saab [Imran Khan] has not made any decision yet. I will accept whatever decision is announced. News channels are airing propaganda against me," Khattak asserted.