PESHAWAR/GILGIT: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has terminated the basic membership of 22 former lawmakers belonging to KP for leaving the party and joining the Pervez Khattak-led PTI Parliamentarian group and issued show cause notice in Gilgit-Baltistan to 11 members of PTI disgruntled group, including GB Chief Minister Gulbar Khan and eight cabinet members of the incumbent government, for voting against the party’s policy during the GB chief minister’s election.

The PTI members from KP whose membership has been terminated include former chief minister Mahmood Khan, former cabinet members, MNAs and MPAs who either joined the PTI Parliamentarians group or have renounced their affiliation with the party after the May 9 violence which erupted after the arrest of PTI chief Imran Khan.

On July 17, Mr Khattak had launched his own faction of PTI along with several former ministers and lawmakers.

“Those who quit the PTI had not resigned from the basic membership of the party,” a leader of the PTI told Dawn.

“We were expecting the change of loyalties by several leaders of the PTI, but were not expecting former chief minister Mahmood Khan to do the same,” he said.

“You were a member of the PTI. It is known via a large broadcast and your press conference on different forums of media that you have left PTI,” read a notice of termination issued to the former chief minister.

“That on 22nd July, you [Mahmood Khan] willfully announced your resignation from the party offices as well as basic membership of the party.

“Now, therefore, you are served with this notice of termination of your basic membership of PTI. Your membership has been terminated immediately,” the notice said.

All termination notices were issued by PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan.

The former provincial ministers whose membership was terminated were Syed Muhammad Ishtiaq Umar, Muhammad Iqbal Wazir, Mohibullah Khan and Syed Ghazi Ghazan Jamal.

The former lawmakers whose membership was terminated included Aghaz Ikram Ullah Gandapur, Ahmad Hussain Shah, Ehtisham Javed Akhtar, Ibrahim Khattak, Muhammad Deedar, Muhammad Shafiq Afridi, Mufti Obaid Ullah Khan, Saleh Muhammad, Zia Ullah Bangash, Zahoor Shakir, Wilson Wazir, Syed Iqbal Mian and Shah Faisal Khan.

The membership of former MNAs Shaukat Ali, Sher Akbar Khan, Muhammad Yaqoob Khan and Nadeem Khyal Khan was also terminated.

Gilgit-Baltistan

Taking action against its members of Gilgit-Baltistan for voting against the party policy during the GB CM’s election, the PTI served show cause notice to 11 members of the PTI disgruntled group, including GB Chief Minister Gulbar Khan and eight cabinet members of the incumbent government.

The PTI has already terminated membership of PTI’s GB chapter general secretary Fataullah Khan and PTI GB Assembly member Javed Ali Manwa.

The party has also issued show cause notice to two GB council members Hashmatullah Khan and Abdul Rehman for conspiring against the party.

Issued by PTI Mr Ayub, the show cause notice said: “It has come to the notice of the PTI leadership that you made a forward bloc and voted against the party decision in the Gilgit-Baltistan CM’s election.

“In view of these reported activities, you are hereby called to explain your position in writing within three days of receiving this notice. If your reply is unsatisfactory or you do not respond, a further action will be taken against you as per party policy and rules,” the notice said.

Those served the show cause notice included GB Chief Minister Gulbar Khan, incumbent Minister for Works Amjad Ali Zaidi, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Sohail Abbas, Minister for Home Shams Lone, Senior Minister for Local Government Haji Abdul Hameed, Minister for Power Mushtaq Hussain, Minister for Women Development and Social Welfare Dilshad Bano, Adviser to Chief Minister on Forest Haji Shah Baig, Adviser to CM on Information Technology Surya Zaman, retired colonel Ubaidullah Baig and Fazal Rahim.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2023