LAHORE, July 28: The Pakistan Muslim League-N has suspended the party membership of its youth wing chief Capt (retd) Mohammad Safdar, who is son-in-law of Mian Nawaz Sharif, and issued a show-cause notice to him for breaching party discipline by criticising leaders of its Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter.

PML-N secretary general Iqbal Zafar Jhagra issued the notice on the directives of Mr Sharif, the party chief. It said “impolite and irresponsible” statements of Capt Safdar against leaders had caused divisions in the party.

He has been given 10 days to respond to the notice.

Capt Safdar recently made critical speeches against former chief ministers Sardar Mehtab Abbasi and Pir Sabir Shah. Despite opposition from local party leaders, he was working to get former federal minister Ameer Muqam nominated as PML-N’s provincial chief, replacing Sabir Shah.

Mr Muqam recently quit the PML-Q to join the PML-N.

The rift between the two party groups in the province had deepened so much that Mr Sharif had to summon their leaders to Murree a couple of days ago to solve the problem.

The PML-N is already suffering in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa because of a ‘revolt’ by its former secretary general Saranjam Khan in the previous party elections.

Ali Hazrat Bacha adds from Peshawar: Talking to reporters, Mr Jhagra said the party would take further action against Capt Safdar if he failed to clarify his position within 10 days.

He said the PML-N youth wing’s chief had violated party discipline by issuing some irresponsible statements to the media and hurting the feelings of some senior leaders.

According to sources, Capt Safdar had termed Pir Sabir and Sardar Mehtab “Mir Jaffar and Mir Sadiq” of the party for attending a meeting held in Mansehra in 2007 by his rival group.

Both the senior leaders apprised Mr Sharif in Murree of the activities of Mr Safdar and categorically said they had had enough.

The sources claimed that if Mr Sharif had not taken action against Mr Safdar the two leaders might have resigned from the PML-N in protest and joined some other party. This could have damaged the party.

Mr Safdar and PML-N youth wing information secretary Khadim Ali were not available for comments.