SWABI: Biland Iqbal Tarakai, a former Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf vice-president for Peshawar region and uncle of provincial minister of elementary and secondary education Shahram Khan, has been expelled from PTI due to his failure to respond to a show-cause notice issued to him by party’s provincial president Pervez Khatatk within the given time.

After receiving the expulsion letter from the office of Mr Khattak, Mr Iqbal told mediapersons here on Wednesday that the show-cause notice was issued to him on Nov 7, giving him only two days to respond. He said he had submitted his response on Nov 10, but the PTI provincial president did not accept it.

The letter said party membership of Mr Iqbal was terminated as he failed to submit reply within the stipulated time.

When contacted, Mr Iqbal told Dawn that PTI did not belong to Pervez Khattak, Asad Qaiser, the former National Assembly speaker, and Shahram Khan. He said he would soon challenge his expulsion from the party in the Peshawar High Court.

He said he had also decided to approach party chairman Imran Khan and Asad Umar to expose the three provincial leaders. He insisted he was still a member of PTI and nobody could expel him from it because he had been struggling for strengthening it in the district for last nine years.

Meanwhile, sources said the Tuesday’s incident (when police allegedly raided the residence of Mr Iqbal and former MNA Usman Khan Tarakai) had further strained relations between Shahram and his uncles.

Mr Iqbal had accused Mr Khattak and Mr Qaiser of ordering the raid at his hujra, alleging the police insulted them and arrested two members of their family.

ARRESTED: The police have arrested 30 criminals, including proclaimed offenders, during operations over the last two days, and recovered five guns, 10 pistols, 100 cartridges, over 2kg hashish, 511 grams ice drug and a stolen cow.

District police officer Captain retired Najam Al Hussain said personnel of different police stations took part in the operations.

He said the police had also arrested three electricity thieves, 11 for displaying weapons and nine others for indulging in festive firing.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2022