BAJAUR: The local chapter of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) here on Sunday terminated the membership of its two leaders for contesting the February 8 general elections as independent candidates against the nominee of the party.

According to a statement, Haji Juma Said and Shakirullah had contested polls for provincial assembly seat PK-21as independent candidates against the nominee of PTI. The local chapter of the party issued show-cause notices to both of them. However, they didn’t reply to the notices.

The show-cause notices were issued to tem by PTI district general secretary Engineer Ajmal Khan. “Both the leaders didn’t bother to submit any reply of the show-cause notices within the stipulated time given to them to clear their positions. It led the party local leadership to terminate their party membership immediately,” said the statement.

It said that Haji Juma Said and Shakirullah were founded guilty for violating the discipline and rules of party by contesting elections as independent candidates and using party’s flags and photo of PTI founder Imran Khan. It added that both of them tried their level best to defeat the PTI ticket holder Engineer Ajmal Khan.

Haji Juma Said and Shakirullah, who secured 2,137 and 2,076 votes respectively, criticised the decision of the local chapter of the party.

In their separate posts shared on social media soon after the development, both the party leaders said that they had contested elections in the larger interest of party as most of the workers were not satisfied with the performance of Engineer Ajmal Khan, the party’s nominee for PK-21 and district general secretary of PTI.

They said that their lone purpose of contesting elections was to stand against the family politics in the party and prevent ‘corrupt people’ from getting re-elected in the name of PTI candidate.

Both of them said in their social media posts that they would stand by PTI founding chairman Imran Khan’s vision forever. They said that no one had the authority to expel them from PTI as they had rendered great sacrifices for strengthening of the party in the district.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2024