ISLAMABAD: The PTI on Tuesday terminated basic party membership of 22 PTI leaders of south Punjab including former chief minister Punjab Usman Buzdar and warned them of legal action if they used the party name and designation.

The party has expelled over 80 prominent leaders in less than a fortnight for violating party policies.

The PTI leaders of south Punjab whose membership was terminated incl­uded Sardar Muhammad Khan Laghari, Syed Nad­eem Zaman Shah, Ehti­sh­­am ul Haq Laleka, Prince Bahawal Khan Abbasi, Sabeen Gul, Usman Buzdar, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar, Mian Shafi Muhammad, Syed Muhammad Asghar Shah, Mian Tariq Abdullah, Muhammad Akhtar Malik and Muhammad Afzal.

The party has also expelled from the party Ehsanul Haq, Javed Akh­tar Ansari, Saleem Akhtar Labar, Muhammad Zaheeruddin Khan Alizai, Farooq Azam Malik, Salman Khan Gadoka, Akram Kanu, Mohiyuddin Solangi, Makhdoom Afkarul Hassan and Raja Muhammad Saleem.

A PTI notification announcing termination of membership of party leaders said: “Now, you are served with this notice of termination of your basic membership from PTI. You are directed to refrain from using the party name, designation and/or membership in any manner whatsoever, failing which the party reserves the right to take action against you which may also lead to legal action.”

Last week, the PTI had terminated the basic party membership of some PTI leaders of KP, including former KP chief minister Mehmood Khan, Ziaullah Khan Bangash, Shaukat Ali, Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh, Ehtisham Javed Akbar, Aghaz Ikramullah Gandapur, Muhammad Iqbal Wazir, Zahoor Shakir, Wilson Wazir and Syed Muhammad Ishtiaq.

Syed Iqbal Mian, Syed Ghazi Ghazan Jamal, Sher Akbar Khan, Shah Faisal Khan, Saleh Muhammad, Mufti Obaidullah Khan, Nadeem Khyal Khan, Muhammad Shafiq Afridi, Muhammad Didar, Mohib­ullah Khan, Ibrahim Khattak and Ahmed Hussain Shah.

Published in Dawn, Aug 2nd, 2023