PML-N Leaders Express Concerns Over Pervez Khattak’s Inclusion in Federal Cabinet

By DTD- On Mar 3, 2025

ISLAMABAD – Some leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have raised concerns over the inclusion of Pervez Khattak, a former close aide of Imran Khan, in the federal cabinet.

In an appearance at a private news channel, PML-N leader Ikhtiar Wali revealed that several party members were unhappy with Khattak’s inclusion, given his background as a former defence minister and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rule. Wali noted that due to past political differences, some PML-N members had not communicated with Khattak for over 15 years.

Wali also shared that there was a growing sentiment within PML-N that individuals without a Punjab domicile were being sidelined within the party.

Khattak was appointed as an adviser to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last week, as part of an expansion of the federal cabinet, which now includes 50 members. The expansion added 12 federal ministers, nine ministers of state, three advisers to the prime minister, and four special assistants to the prime minister.

Khattak had resigned from his position in PTI in June 2023 following the May 9 riots. He later formed his own party, PTI-Parliamentarians, but after a failed general election campaign in which he lost all the seats he contested, he resigned from his party position.