- Party spokesperson says PTI to issue a show-cause notice to ‘rebel lawmaker’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has decided to expel MNA Dawar Kundi from the party for what he calls baseless allegations against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who is also a senior party leader in the province.
Talking to media over a video link, Imran termed Kundi a dissident and a liar. “He has had differences with the party for long, but we are now expelling him from the party,” he said. “This is not the first time. He has been issuing statements against the party and the chief minister over the last one year. He does not even attend our meetings,” he said, adding that the party was going to take action against him.
Handing a clean chit to Gandapur, the party chairman said that he had personally contacted the Inspector General of Police, who had rejected the impression that he was under any political pressure in connection with the investigation of the case. “Ali Ameen himself says hang the responsible by the neck,” he said as he ruled out the possibility of Gandapur’s involvement in the incident.
PTI spokesperson Naeemul Haque said that Dawar Kundi was at loggerheads with other party leaders in Dera Ismail Khan and was not attending PTI’s parliamentary party meetings. Moreover, “he (Kundi) wanted to discuss the differences within the party on media and leveled baseless allegations against Gandapur,” he said.
“That is why we have decided to issue him a show-cause notice regarding the matter. If he fails to prove his allegations, he will be expelled,” the party spokesperson said. MNA Dawar Kundi has accused Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Minister Ali Amin Gandapur of facilitating eight people accused of involvement in the alleged stripping and parading naked of a teenage girl in Dera Ismail Khan earlier this month.
PTI Information Secretary Shafqat Mehmood said that complaints have been received against Dawar Kundi for violating the party discipline since long; hence it was decided to issue him show cause notice. He said that the notice would be issued to Dawar Kundi and he would be given appropriate chance to clear his position.
He said that the PTI was a party where there was a formal mechanism to remove someone from the party. “Dawar Kundi is not removed from the party yet but a disciplinary action will be taken against him if deviation and breach of party discipline is proved,” he said.
A few days ago, Kundi demanded the removal of Ali Amin Gandapur for allegedly providing ‘logistic and physical support to the criminals’ involved in the Dera incident. In a letter addressed to the PTI chairman dated on November 8, Dawar has demanded justice for the orphan girl to avoid ‘the wrath of Allah.’
Gandapur’s alleged involvement in the case ‘lowers our head in shame,’ he said, adding that he personally investigated the matter and found the provincial minister responsible for harbouring the accused, and this has brought shame to the party. Kundi had also taken up the issue in the parliament.
Responding to the allegations leveled against him, Gandapur had said the attempts to link him with the incident were shameful. “Those accusing me of patronising the accused are unaware of the police system in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The police is completely free from political influence and it is impossible for any minister or political leader, including me, to intervene in their work,” he maintained.