By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: A senior member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Internal Accountability Committee has publicly defended Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, stating that no evidence of corruption has been found against him.
Speaking to reporters in Peshawar, Advocate Qazi Anwar, a member of the party’s internal probe body, said Swati had not committed any act of financial misconduct. “If there were errors in recruitment or promotions, these were not unprecedented—such mistakes have happened in the past as well,” Anwar noted.
The remarks come amid reports that Swati was under internal investigation by the party for alleged irregularities related to appointments and promotions within the provincial assembly. The speaker has already submitted his formal response to the committee, signalling his willingness to cooperate with the inquiry process.
Insiders say that if corruption is eventually proven, the party may ask Swati to resign from his post. If he refuses, a motion of no-confidence could be tabled against him in the assembly. Conversely, if he is cleared, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur will be tasked with facilitating reconciliation between Swati and fellow PTI leader Azam Swati, with whom tensions have reportedly escalated in recent months. According to sources, if irregularities are confirmed but not of a criminal nature, Swati may be asked to rectify his decisions and withdraw controversial appointments. As things stand, the PTI appears to be walking a tightrope—balancing internal accountability with political pragmatism, and avoiding deeper rifts within its own ranks in a province it has long considered its stronghold.
