Sher Afzal Khan (), also known as Sher Afzal Marwat, for tribal reasons, is a Pakistani politician who is member of the National Assembly of Pakistan since 29 February 2024. Marwat was born into a politically active family in the village of Begu Khel, located near Lakki Marwat. He began his career in journalism with Business Recorder and Aaj newspaper before transitioning to law. As a lawyer, he represented several Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) politicians, including former chairman Imran Khan
In 2008, Marwat stepped into politics when he joined the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F). In 2017, he joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He participated in 2018 Pakistani general election on the platform of PTI but he was unsuccessful. In November 2023, he was appointed as the senior vice president of the party. In the 2024 Pakistani general election, Marwat secured a National Assembly seat. Marwat has been at the center of many internal party conflicts and has publicly criticized several leaders of PTI.
In September 2023, he was part of a physical altercation with a Pakistan Muslim League (N) senator during a live television program. Additionally, in 2024, a video emerged of Marwat striking an individual at a party rally, which he later justified as disciplining his "personal guard." In December 2023, he was detained under public order laws after attending a lawyers' convention, only to be released by court order days later. In 2024, he was briefly arrested over allegations of illegal construction near the Thalian Motorway Interchange but was released shortly after.
In 2024, he criticized Islamabad High Court judges for not taking legal action regarding alleged interference by the Inter-Services Intelligence, advocating for a stronger judicial response. Marwat also made controversial claims implicating Saudi Arabia and the United States in the ousting of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, though PTI later distanced itself from his statements, and Marwat clarified they were personal opinions.
Early life and education Sher Afzal Marwat was born into a politically active family in the village of Begu Khel, located near Lakki Marwat. His father, Muhammad Azeem Khan Begu Khel, participated in local body elections and served as the chairman of district and tehsil councils. His father was also a member of the peace committee in Lakki Marwat and was killed in a targeted attack by extremists in January 2012.
Marwat received his primary education in Begu Khel. He later attended Wensom College in Dera Ismail Khan, where he completed his Higher Secondary Certificate examination. Following this, he graduated from Lakki Marwat College. During his school years, Marwat actively participated in speech competitions held in Lakki Marwat, Bannu, and Dera Ismail Khan, often achieving success.
He pursued higher education at the University of Peshawar, earning an MA in History and an M Journalism. During this period, he worked with the Business Recorder, an English-language newspaper, and the Urdu daily Aaj, published in Peshawar. Marwat also completed an LLB from the University of Peshawar and later transitioned to a career in law.
Legal and professional career Marwat started as a judicial officer before serving in the Estate Office on deputation, later becoming Director General of the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA).
As a lawyer he represented several Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) politicians, including former chairman Imran Khan.
Political career
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) Before joining PTI, he was affiliated with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) from 2008 until 15 October 2017, when he announced in a jirga that he had quit the party. He justified his decision by saying, "I need not to remain in a party where I get no respect at all and where the leaders have no time to address the problems of people of my area".
Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf On 16 April 2018, he joined the PTI. After joining PTI, he contested the 2018 Pakistani general election and the 2018 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial election from NA-36 Lakki Marwat and PK-91 Lakki Marwat-I, respectively, as an independent candidate. He received 92 votes in NA-36 Lakki Marwat, faring at number eighteen out of total eighteen candidates, with the winning candidate getting 92,000 votes. He got 33 votes in PK-91 Lakki Marwat-I, faring at number seventeen out of total seventeen candidates, with the winning candidate getting 25,242 votes. On 22 November 2023, he was appointed senior vice president of PTI.
In the 2024 Pakistani general election, he was elected as member of the National Assembly of Pakistan by securing 117,996 Votes. He defeated Maulana Asjad Mahmood of JUI-F; Son of Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman by a heavy margin of 45,311 votes. He took oath on 28 February 2024.
In March 2024, Chairman of PTI Gohar Ali Khan announced that Marwat would be nominated by the party for the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) under Imran Khan's recommendation. However, on 25 April, PTI opted to appoint Hamid Khan as the PAC chairman instead
On May 19, Sher Afzal Marwat challenged the constitutionality behind the appointment of Ishaq Dar as Deputy Prime Minister, in a petition before the Lahore High Court. He also requested that the court award him for the petition and asked “the petitioner may please be awarded compensation for bringing this important petition before this honorable court”.
Conflicts within PTI On 24 February 2024, Marwat received a show-cause notice from PTI. In his response, Marwat asserted that only PTI founder Imran Khan held authority over him. He stated, "If Imran Khan asks me to apologize, I will." Marwat expressed that a more appropriate approach would have been for Omar Ayub Khan to personally contact him and request a public apology. The show-cause notice was issued following Marwat's allegations against former chairman Gohar Ali Khan. Marwat claimed Gohar was "removed" as chairman due to "unsatisfactory" performance, emphasizing that although Gohar was a gentleman, his performance fell short. Marwat stated that Gohar failed to meet the expectations of the party workers, emphasizing the necessity for constant activity in running a party office. Regarding the post-election period, Marwat criticized the party leadership's approach, suggesting that Gohar should have taken the lead after the polls but failed to do so. PTI demanded that Marwat submit an apology letter within two days, warning of action in accordance with party policy if an unsatisfactory response was received. Marwat declared his determination to continue criticizing other party members, asserting, "I don't back down in the face of adversity." He vowed to provide "satisfactory" responses to leaders who accused him. Marwat has consistently criticized other party leaders, including founder member Hamid Khan, on various occasions. Marwat criticized the manner in which the show-cause notice was issued, alleging it was designed to weaken PTI and divert attention from protests. He urged party leaders to refrain from solely relying on Imran Khan for every decision.
On 15 March 2024, Marwat criticized PTI and its leadership, attributing the loss of over 80 seats in national and provincial assemblies to the party's own "flawed decisions." Marwat specifically highlighted two decisions that he believed led to PTI losing reserved seats after the elections on February 8. According to him, PTI's choice to withdraw from forming an electoral alliance with Rabita Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (RJUI) and later opting for a deal with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Nazriati (PTI-N) dealt a significant blow to the party. He emphasized the need for an internal inquiry within the party to ascertain responsibility for these decisions. "If these decisions had not been made, we would not have lost the electoral symbol," Marwat added, suggesting that PTI candidates could have contested elections under the RJUI platform even after losing the 'bat' symbol. Marwat identified PTI's decision to ally with Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) to secure reserved seats as the second mistake of the party.
Marwat also openly criticized the affiliation with the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), deeming it a misstep. The repercussions of Marwat's statement were immediate, with Sahibzada Hamid Raza choosing to boycott PTI's conference on Islamophobia in Islamabad. Insiders within PTI disclosed that Marwat's comments deeply offended Raza, resulting in a breakdown in their alliance. Tensions escalated further after a meeting between the SIC and PTI's core committee, during which Raza voiced suspicions about PTI's motives. Subsequently, Hamid Raza took to the social media platform X to express his dissatisfaction, urging PTI members to resolve their internal disputes privately.
On 17 March 2024, Marwat acknowledged widespread corruption within his party's former administration in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Speaking during a live session on X Spaces, he asserted, "During the previous PTI government, individuals didn't just become billionaires, but trillionaires [through corruption]." He further claimed, "Former KP chief minister Mahmood Khan now earns Rs2.5 million daily from one of his mines."
In late March 2024, Marwat participated in an Iftar dinner in Abbottabad, where party dissidents and former speaker of Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani were in attendance. Notably, several other MNAs and MPAs from Abbottabad, including Ali Asghar Khan, were conspicuously absent from the gathering. The dinner, hosted by Marwat’s close associate Shehzad Gul, who had previously been expelled from the party, raised concerns among party members. Asghar, the general secretary of PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and MNA from Abbottabad, issued a message to PTI workers. In his message, Asghar underscored the significance of party loyalty and unity, especially during challenging times. He stressed the imperative of offering unwavering support to the party chief Imran Khan and cautioned against actions that could tarnish the party’s image. Asghar's communication reflected the dissatisfaction among PTI workers regarding what they perceived as a disregard for party principles during the event. He emphasized the importance of prioritizing party allegiance over personal relationships. Asghar noted that Marwat's arrival for the event in the company of an individual previously expelled by the party deeply disappointed loyal workers, causing them considerable distress. Despite Marwat's assertion of personal friendship, Asghar expressed dissatisfaction with his actions. He suggested that the invitations extended to other PTI leaders and workers for the event seemed to be a deliberate attempt to undermine the party's interests during its challenging period. Asghar stressed the necessity of giving precedence to party loyalty over personal ties, indicating that the conduct of certain party members had disregarded this principle. He urged all members to prioritize the welfare of the party over personal affiliations.
Following these incidents, PTI founder Imran Khan took action on 3 April 2024, by removing Marwat from significant roles within the party due to his contentious and outspoken political stance. Dissatisfaction among PTI followers and supporters regarding his management of media affairs led to calls for his dismissal from key positions. The decision to remove him was based on recommendations from the party's core committee. Additionally, Marwat's name was excluded from the list of attendees for the meeting with Imran Khan, and the PTI leadership informed the jail administration of this decision. Salman Ahmad, a staunch PTI member supported Khan's decision of sidelining Marwat stating that Marwat is a "wrong number" in the party signaling possible disloyalty with party and alignment with military establishment using the example of Khurram Hameed Rokhri, another PTI dissenter and pro-establishment politician.