RAWALPINDI: Two local PTI MPAs suspended from the party last week, for beating up a cousin of party chairman Imran Khan, have said that the party has decided to restore their membership.

“Though the party took the decision on Monday, I will take charge as District President and Rashid Hafeez as Secretary General of PTI Rawalpindi after receiving notification of the party in this regard,” MPA Arif Abbasi told Dawn on Monday.

PTI’s official spokeswoman MNA Shireen Mazari was not available for comments.

A senior leader of the Punjab chapter of the party would neither confirm nor deny the claim on record but tended to agree with it on condition of anonymity.

“Membership of 10 office-bearers of the party were suspended but the party decided to restore the membership of the two MPAs for the fear they may form a separate group and refrain from verifying their resignations from the Punjab Assembly,” said the senior leader.

A senior party leader claims the move is aimed at preventing formation of a splinter group

When Dawn approached suspended PTI Punjab North President Sadaaqat Abbasi for comments, he denied being involved in the brawl but said he would abide by “whatever verdict the inquiry committee set up in this regard delivers”.

Punjab PTI President Chaudhry Ijaz said that the party had started the process to settle the issue and thought the office-bearers suspended after the rowdy incident would rejoin their offices soon.

The cautiously anonymous PTI leader claimed that the party’s core committee considered it wiser to restore the membership of at least the two MPAs than creating an embarrassing situation for the party’s resignations campaign.

“Sarwar Khan of Taxila and Amir Kiani and others tried to convince the party chairman that the membership of those who were not present at the brawl be restored,” he said.

According to him, Imran Khan then left it to the core committee to decide as it thought fit but opposed restoring the membership of PTI Punjab North President Sadaaqat Abbasi before the inquiry committee submitted its report.

The membership of 10 office-bearers of PTI including Punjab North President Sadaaqat Abbasi, Rawalpindi District President and MPA Arif Abbasi and MPA Rashid Hafeez was suspended for their involvement to beat-up PTI Chief Imran Khan’s cousin Ahmed Niazi at the party’s sit-in site outside the Parliament.

“After the differences in the party, the workers failed to focus on mobilisation of people to attend November 30 public gathering.

“The office-bearers of local chapter of the party united against the decision of the party regarding suspension,” said the anonymous leader.

He said that the party gave the task to local chapter to start door-to-door campaign from November 15 in the district for November 30 public meeting in Islamabad but it was not launched yet.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2014