PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has issued a show-cause notice to its activist, Sahibzada Taimur Hasan, for contesting election against the party’s nominee on PK-81 in Peshawar.

The notice was issued on Wednesday by PTI’s Peshawar president Sher Ali Arbab.

Taimur Hasan is contesting election as an independent candidate on PK-81, where PTI has fielded Syed Qasim Ali Shah as its candidate.

“It has been brought to my notice by several party members that you are contesting the February 8 elections as an independent candidate and falsely claiming to be a PTI-supported candidate, and are using PTI flag and images of Imran Khan in your publicity material,” reads the show-cause notice issued to Mr Hasan.

“PTI-supported candidate in PK-81 is Syed Qasim Ali Shah with traffic signal as his electoral symbol,” states the notice. The party has given clear instructions to all party members contesting as independents to withdraw in favour of PTI-supported candidates, it added.

“The party’s office-bearers have already made a number of requests to you to withdraw from elections but you have ignored them,” the show-cause notice said.

“You are therefore instructed to withdraw in favour of aforementioned PTI candidate in PK-81 – Syed Qasim Ali Shah – and/or join his electoral campaign within two days failing which your party membership will be suspended.” Moreover, Mr Arbab in the notice said that he would write to the PTI secretary general to terminate Mr Hasan’s party membership.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2024