QUETTA: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) committee on accountability and discipline has issued show cause notices to its two senior leaders from Balochistan for violating party discipline and discussing the party’s affairs in the media on the issue of party tickets for Senate elections.

The chairman the committee, Suleman Aftab, issued separate show cause notices to Dr Munir Ahmed, president of PTI northwest Balochistan, and Haji Nawab Khan Dummar, president of PTI northeast Balochistan, on Saturday.

In the notices, the committee chairman said that during Senate elections both the PTI leaders in a press conference spoke against the party policy and its leadership.

He said discussing the party’s affairs in the media was against the PTI constitution and policies. Therefore, he added, the matter was being referred to a committee of the party for these regions for further proceeding against Dr Ahmed and Mr Dummar within seven days.

Dr Ahmed and Mr Dummar along with other party members had strongly opposed the decision of the party’s central command to award the PTI ticket for a Senate seat from Balochistan to a business tycoon, Mohammad Abdul Qadir.

The local leaders of the party also opposed the decision and demanded withdrawal of the party ticket from Mr Qadir. After strong opposition from the party leaders from Balochistan, the PTI high command withdrew the party ticket for Mr Qadir.

The PTI later issued the party ticket for the Senate seat to Syed Zahoor Agha. But, some PTI leaders also opposed the decision to award the party ticket to Mr Agha who later withdrew his nomination papers on the instruction of the party leadership.

After the PTI had withdrawn its ticket for him, Mr Qadir filed his nomination as an independent candidate. He was elected a senator from Balochistan on a general seat, securing highest 11 votes in the first count.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2021