According to Dawn, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has clarified that Member of National Assembly (MNA) Junaid Akbar remains the president of its Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chapter. However, Senator Noorul Haq Qadri will step in to preside over provincial cabinet meetings during Akbar's absence.

What happened

Akbar was placed in preventative custody alongside Sohail Afridi and others after the federal government declared governor's rule and an emergency in KP on October 11. His exact whereabouts are not specified in the source; please check the official notice. Following his absence, reports indicated that over 50 provincial lawmakers met on October 14 to support former Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur as the acting provincial president.

In response, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan signed an official notification confirming that the provincial organization will remain under Akbar's presidency. The party explicitly prohibited any modifications to the provincial cabinet or leadership structure until further notice.

Key facts

  • Senator Noorul Haq Qadri, the senior vice president of PTI's KP chapter and a former federal religious affairs minister, will lead provincial cabinet meetings while Akbar is away.
  • PTI KP Secretary General Ali Asghar Khan is tasked with chairing meetings if Qadri is absent, maintaining responsibility for provincial administration, coordination, and executing party decisions.
  • The official statement follows an online conflict on platform X between Gandapur and PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja.
  • Raja condemned actions by provincial lawmakers attempting to replace Akbar without permission from jailed leader Imran Khan or the political committee, while Gandapur rejected the accusations and defended the local lawmakers' authority to seek political solutions.

Why it matters

According to Dawn, the party's formal declaration aims to solidify its leadership structure in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and address public internal disagreements among senior members following federal emergency measures in the region.

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Source: Dawn - Home · Published October 24, 2026 · Photo by Ashikul Islam Anik on Unsplash