MANSEHRA, Nov 17: The sacked provincial minister of Qaumi Watan Party, Ibrar Hussain Tanoli, claimed on Sunday that Chief Minister Pervez Khattak was annoyed with his party over the unjustified interference of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan in the day-to-day affairs of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, but he (CM) could not express it as he had to save his office.

`I was cleared of corruption and other charges by a committee constituted by the chief minister to probe the issue, but despite this Mr Khan forced him to sack me and another minister of my party to take revenge of our party`s firm stance of not supporting suspension of Nato supplies by the KP government,` Mr Tanoli said while speaking at a press conference at the press club here.

The former minister said that his hands were clean of any corruption, embezzlement and kickbacks. `If Imran Khan has any evidence he should produce it before the media as I never remained involved in corruption and other illegal activities since taking oath on head of my son in the election campaign that I would never indulge in any misdeed and corruption, and that if I do so Allah deprive me of my this son,` said Mr Tanoli.

The former minister claimed that the PTI chief many times forced him to allow 150trucks of smuggled timber from Gilgit-Baltistan to cross over to Punjab via Karakoram Highway when he took firm stand and did not allow them to proceed ahead after a specified date.

`When I took a firm stance and didn`t allow Rs400 million timber from GB to Punjab it was Imran Khan who approached me for its clearance causing financial loss of Rs400 million to the national exchequer,` Mr Tanoli said.

The former QWP minister said that he wanted to move the apex court against his illegal sacking and allegations of corruption, but his party forbade him not to do so until his party chief, Aftab Khan Sherpao, returned to country.

`Aftab Sherpao is due to reach Pakistan from foreign tour today or tomorrow and whatever strategy he would announce we would follow it as it is not a matter of two ministries but of our party`s dignity,` said Mr Tanoli.

He said that before any action there were names of 12 ministers to be expelled on the charges of corruption, but the PTI chief dropped the names of his own party ministers when they met him.

`The slogan of change is merely a drama and if Mr Khan is true in his words he should also sack his PTI ministers whose names are already included in the list,` the QWP leader said.-Correspondent