The Supreme Court's public relations officer announced on Saturday that Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had taken notice of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Imran Ali Shah's physical assault of citizen Dawood Chauhan earlier this week and sought a report from both parties involved.

A video of Shah slapping Chauhan had gone viral on Tuesday, sparking outrage on social media. The PTI leadership had taken notice of the incident soon after and issued a show-cause notice to the MPA-elect. Senior party leader Firdous Naqvi had also tweeted that he had launched a probe into the matter.

Shah had subsequently posted a video apologising for "hurting anyone's feelings", and insisting that he had only "pushed" the man, even though the clip circulated on the internet had showed him raising his hand and hitting the man multiple times.

The PTI's official Twitter account had on Wednesday retweeted a video of Shah apologising to Chauhan. The video, apparently posted by Shah's own account, had showed him hugging Chauhan, and looking apologetic.

In another tweet, Shah had posted pictures with the man as well.

The party's Sindh president, Firdaus Shamim Naqvi, had later stated that the under-fire lawmaker's party membership had been suspended until PTI's provincial disciplinary committee reviews the matter and takes a final decision.

"The party membership of Imran Shah will remain suspended until a final decision is made on this matter," Naqvi was quoted as saying by the party's Karachi media department.

"We received his response, which was forwarded to the disciplinary committee. The final decision will be in accordance with whatever the committee recommends."

"In the Naya Pakistan (New Pakistan) of Imran Khan there will be one law for the powerful and weak," Naqvi had said.

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