Pervez Khattak

Pervez Khan Khattak is a Pakistani politician who served as the minister of defence from 2018 to 2022. He held the position of the 22nd chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa between 2013 and 2018. Khattak also acted as a member of the National Assembly from 2018 to 2023.

Early life and education

Pervez Khattak was born on 1 January 1950 in the village of Manki Sharif. He is a member of the Pashtun Khattak tribe. His father, Hastam Khan Khattak, worked as a government contractor and was recognized as a leading builder in the pre-partition subcontinent. Khattak attended the Manki Sharif Primary School during his early years. He later moved to Lahore to attend Aitchison College before continuing his studies at Pak-AIMS.

He previously worked as a political worker for the PPP.

Career

Khattak began his journey in politics in 1983 when he served as a member of the district council. He held the position of Irrigation minister in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 1988. Later, he served twice as the minister of Industries and Production during 1993 and 2010. In the 1990 Pakistani general election, he ran for the National Assembly from NA-4 Peshawar-IV as a candidate for the Pakistan Democratic Alliance. He received 25,722 votes but lost to Ajmal Khattak of the Awami National Party.

He secured a seat in the Provincial Assembly of the North-West Frontier Province during the 2008 provincial election. Running as a candidate for the Pakistan Peoples Party (Sherpao), he won from PF-13 Nowshera-II with 15,168 votes. On 25 September 2013, he relinquished his role as secretary-general of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to Jahangir Tareen.

Imran Khan nominated Khattak as the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on 13 May 2013. He won the election with 4 votes, while his rival Maulana Lutfur Rehman secured 3 votes. During his leadership, he implemented a "Right to Information" bill and an online crime FIR system. He also introduced mobile courts to dispense justice and worked on a whistleblower law. His administration launched a social health insurance programme for underprivileged citizens and an anti-polio campaign.

Khattak managed energy policies by introducing a 10-year hydro electric plan in 2012. He initially planned 350 mini-micro hydel power projects for small villages, but later increased this target to 1000 projects. His government also took a hardline stance against drone strikes and threatened to block NATO supply lines if they continued.

His membership with the PTI was terminated on 12 July 2023 following allegations that he incited members to leave the party. On 17 July 2023, he announced the formation of a breakaway faction called the PTI-P. According to a handout from the announcement, more than 57 former members of the Provincial Assembly joined his new party. After his party lost in the 2024 Pakistani general election, Khattak left the chairmanship and took a break from politics on 12 February 2024.

Personal life

Khattak has been married twice. He is the father of five children, consisting of three sons and two daughters. His eldest son, Ishaq Khattak, manages the company established by his grandfather. Another son, Ibrahim Khan Khattak, is a member of the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while studying in the United Kingdom. His cousin, Nasrullah Khan Khattak, also served as the chief minister of KP during the premiership of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.