PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday served show cause notice on former provincial president of the party and former chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak for ‘contacting workers and inciting them to leave the party’.

The notice was issued by PTI secretary general Omar Ayub Khan to Pervez Khattak. “It has come into the notice of the party leadership that you are contacting party members and inciting them to leave the party,” says the show cause notice.

It further states: “In view of these reported activities, you are hereby called to explain yourself in writing within seven days of this notice. If your reply is unsatisfactory or you do not respond, further action will be taken against you as per party’s policy and rules.”

Mr Khattak, who led the first government of PTI in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from 2013 to 2018 and then served as defence minister in his party’s government in the centre, was made provincial president of the party following ouster of its government through the non-confidence motion earlier last year.

Former chief minister has been given a week to explain his position

On the other hand, social media is abuzz with rumours and reports regarding Mr Khattak’s imminent departure from PTI.

A senior party leader in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on the condition of anonymity, told Dawn that during the past several days the former chief minister held several meetings with former PTI lawmakers including MPAs and MNAs besides other stalwarts to convince them to leave the party. However, he said, it was not immediately clear as to who jumped ship with Mr Khattak.

He said that unlike Punjab, many of PTI leaders in KP were not electable. “The party has made them leaders. Our norms and family traditions also dictate that we should not part ways with someone in times of trouble,” he said.

The leader said that PTI chief Imran Khan had come to know about Mr Khattak’s overtures to party members and he said that those, who could not bear pressure and arrest, could leave the party.

However, he said that Mr Khan took strong exception to Mr Khattak’s efforts to lure other members into leaving PTI. “This is the precise reason for which the show cause notice has been issued to him,” he said.

In the light of the crackdown on PTI after the 9 May violent protests following the arrest of Imran Khan in Islamabad, Pervez Khattak resigned from the party position during a press conference.

Pervez Khattak was not available for comments despite several attempts to approach him.

Prior to joining PTI in 2011, Mr Khattak remained associated with Pakistan Peoples Party-Sherpao, now renamed as Qaumi Watan Party, and Pakistan Peoples Party.

Around 3,000 PTI workers have been so far arrested for their alleged involvement in May 9 and 10 riots. Many of the party leaders, former MPAs and MNAs were hiding to thwart arrest. Many of them have been charged by police for their alleged involvement in provoking PTI workers for protests on May 9 and 10.

Some of the PTI leaders and workers have managed to obtain bail before arrests from the courts but others including former federal minister Murad Saeed, former chief minister Mahmood Khan and his cabinet members Kamran Bangash, Taimur Saleem Jhagra and several others are still hiding.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2023