ISLAMABAD: After the furore that followed Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) MNA Ayesha Gulalai’s allegations of harassment and corruption against the PTI and its leadership, party chairman Imran Khan on Thursday turned to social media to ask his followers not to attack Ms Gulalai’s sister.

Ms Gulalai’s sister Maria Toorpakai is a squash player who has been targeted by PTI supporters and office-bearers. The PTI supporters on social media objected to Ms Toorpakai’s sports attire and questioned her conduct as a Pakhtun.

After a day of accusations hurled at Ms Gulalai’s sister on social media, Mr Khan tweeted: “My request to all PTI supporters is to immediately refrain from targeting Ayesha Gulalai’s sister.”

Mr Khan posted four tweets after 11:30am in which he also attacked the PML-N.

He said after “seeing their efforts to get me disqualified & their smear campaigns against me all fail” the PML-N was “moving to do what it does best”, adding: “Try & purchase [its] way into toppling the legitimate KP govt. Rest assured there will be no counter offers/Changa Mangas.”

Mr Khan was referring to 1990, when then Punjab chief minister Nawaz Sharif orchestrated the safekeeping of independent lawmakers at a Changa Manga rest house prior to a vote of no-confidence against the PPP government.

In his last tweet, Mr Khan appeared to target Ms Gulalai without naming her and said: “Let those who sell their souls expose themselves.”

Separately, at a press conference at the National Press Club, PML-N Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president Ameer Muqaam lashed out at the PTI chairman and asked him to present himself for accountability.

“The self-proclaimed professor who grants character certificates to others should look at himself,” he said, adding: “Imran Khan is like a rotten egg in politics.”

Referring to an accusation by the PTI cadre that he gave Ms Gulalai Rs500 million to switch side, Mr Muqaam said: “I am filing a defamation suit against Imran Khan and [dragging] him to court.”

He added: “I have never said anything of this sort to Ayesha Gulalai, nor did I give her any money to defame the PTI or its leadership.”

He said he had a minute’s discussion with Ms Gulalai, and that too after she had resigned from the party.

“I lauded her for exposing the true face of Imran Khan,” he said, and announced that he would contest and face Mr Khan at every forum.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2017