PESHAWAR, Oct 4: The organising committee of Awami National Party on Friday terminated the party membership of its senior leader Senator Azam Khan Hoti for violation of party discipline.

“Yes, Azam Hoti’s membership has been terminated for not responding to the show cause notice the party had served on him a week ago,” chairman of the committee Bashir Ahmed Matta told Dawn.

The committee had served the notice on Mr Hoti a week ago for levelling “baseless” allegations and using foul language against the senior leadership of the party, particularly Asfandyar Wali Khan.

The seven-day deadline expired on Friday and the committee waited till evening, but no response to the notice came from Azam Hoti, said Mr Matta. “So we decided to terminate the membership of Azam Hoti,” he added.

Former MNA Ms Jamila Gilani is general secretary of the committee, Sadruddin Khan its spokesperson, MPA Syed Jaffar Shah finance secretary, and Aqil Shah and Nimroz Khan members.

Instead of giving explanation to the committee for levelling allegation against party leadership, he said that Mr Hoti again spoke to the media at a press conference a few days ago insisting he stood by his earlier statement.

The party leadership and workers were stunned with the press statements of Mr Hoti against the leadership.

Azam Hoti is the father of former chief minister Ameer Haider Hoti and brother-in-law of Mr Asfandyar.

He had held Mr Asfandyar responsible for the party’s massive defeat in general elections. According to the statement, he had said that he repeatedly raised his reservations in different meetings of the party, expecting that party affairs might be put in the right direction.

He had also said in the statement that it was necessary to separate Mr Asfandyar from the party leadership and keep him away from its affairs to save it from collapse.

In the show cause notice served on him, the party had sought explanation for leveling allegation against the senior leadership of the party in the media instead of discussing it on the party forum.

Talking against the leadership in media is against the party discipline, said a senior leader of the party.