A tug of war has erupted among the leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), with the party’s chief election commissioner Hamid Khan challenging the ruling of PTI Chairman Imran Khan over dual office of some office-bearers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government.
Hamid Khan had issued a notification on Tuesday removing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak from his party office of the secretary general.
He also removed Asad Qaiser, speaker of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, from the PTI post and Shaukat Yousafzai, the provincial health minister, from his position as the general secretary of the party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
However, party chief Imran Khan intervened the same day, announcing that only the central executive committee had the authority to take decision on the matter and other major issues.
The situation took another turn on Wednesday when Hamid Khan issued a rejoinder to Imran Khan’s statement.
“This is with regard to the Press Release issued by the Central Media Cell, PTI in response to the decision taken by the Central Election Commission of the Party regarding vacation of Party offices by those who have assumed public responsibilities.”
Hamid claimed that Imran Khan’s press statement had been issued in complete ignorance of the party’s constitution.
“Under Article XVII of the PTI’s Constitution captioned ‘Qualification of Election to Party Office’; it is clearly stated that in case of challenges with regard to qualification, the party Election Commission will adjudicate in such matters where disputes arise regarding qualifications of party office-bearers to continue in their respective offices while also being holders of public offices”.
The statement said that the decision announced by the General Election Commission regarding the vacation of party offices by those holding public offices was final and had come into force as of Tuesday, July 9.
“Decision has also announced nominating people to perform the functions of the vacated positions pending the announcement of the election schedule. The decisions of the Central Election Commission, being an autonomous institution under the PTI constitution, are final and do not need any confirmation,” Hamid Khan concluded.