MULTAN: As infighting within different tiers of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf is rising, the local chapter of the party is defending Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi against MNA Ahmed Hussain Deharr.

Apparently desperate for having little say in local politics, the MNA from NA-154 had levelled allegations of corruption and 'betrayal’ against the party stalwart in a TV show.

Following his comments, the PTI standing committee on discipline and accountability issued a show cause notice to Mr Deharr for violating party constitution and summoned him for July 15 to explain his conduct.

Talking to Dawn, the MNA denied getting any notice till Sunday evening.

In a press conference here on Sunday, PTI City President Malik Adnan Dogar and other office- bearers criticised Mr Deharr and claimed that he had done so to get media attention. “Deharr levelled these allegations after having a meeting with a former prime minister in Lahore. Everybody knows he is not loyal to anyone. If he is not comfortable with the vice-chairman of the party he should resign from his national assembly seat,” Dogar said.

He said cases of corruption against Mr Deharr were pending with the National Accountability Bureau. He said party’s office-bearers from the district and city had been nominated with mutual consent of the party leadership while 60 per cents funds of corporation were being given to MNAs and 40 per cent to MPAs in all constituencies.

Talking to Dawn, Deharr said that he had not called Mr Qureshi a corrupt “rather he is responsible for the rampant corruption going on in the district at present.”

“I stand with my statement. Shah Mehmood himself is not a corrupt person but he is responsible for the corruption in the district.”

He said that Mr Qureshi was interfering in the affairs of his constituency and had got the development works in his constituency stopped.

“Transfer/posting of the officers in my constituency is being done on the recommendations of Mr Qureshi and whenever I recommend the transfer of any officer I am asked to contact Mr Qureshi,” he added.

Questioning the show cause notice, he said no action was taken against two ministers who had spoken publicly against party stalwarts.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2020