Imran warns PTI members against disclosing party affairs to media

ISLAMABAD: Outraged by some sensitive matters recently leaked to the media, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday issued a stern warning to all party members, including office-bearers, to refrain from leaking or discussing any internal matter or documents to the media.
The recent disclosure of a show cause notice by the Election Tribunal (ET) served on PTI Secretary General Jehangir Tareen annoyed the party chairman. It is pertinent to mention here that on receiving a request from Imran, the tribunal fixed April 10 to consider the withdrawal of the notice.
Another application sent to the tribunal through an email has been set aside. Some party leaders want a clear direction from the forum with regard to the constitution of the new Election Commission of the party. The issue was stressed upon during the especially summoned consultative meeting of the PTI at Bani Gala.
Imran cautioned, “The party would not tolerate any internal matter or document being discussed or released to the media by anyone, no matter how senior a position he or she holds.”To this effect, the PTI Central Media Cell issued the party chief’s statement, wherein he expressed anger over the recent leakage of documents and statements relating to the Election Tribunal. He dubbed it as irresponsible, damaging and intolerable behaviour.
He condemned the publicising and sending to media of a confidential communication sent on his behalf by his chief of staff to the tribunal. He pointed out that it was unacceptable that internal proceedings relating to internal party matters were deliberately being made public to harm the party.
The PTI chief made it clear that as of today, any party member including the leadership, found leaking or deliberately making public any internal matters/documents dealing with internal party affairs, would be immediately suspended and proceeded against.
“PTI is a most democratic party, but there has to be discipline and confidentiality about internal discussions and proceedings relating to party matters. “Accountability and scrutiny of party members is an intrinsic part of the PTI, which has set up frameworks for such function, but this does not mean internal proceedings and decisions can be the subject of an anarchic free-for-all for personal grandstanding and furthering of particularistic interests at expense of the party,” he asserted.
Imran reiterated that there would be zero tolerance for such malafide by individuals or groups with immediate effect.Meanwhile, PTI Central Information Secretary Shireen Mazari responded to Indian government’s recent statement on Kashmir: “We welcome Indian government statement recognising that Kashmir is a dispute between Pakistan and India. This is recognition of the international nature of the dispute according to UNSC resolutions.”
However, she noted PTI had always believed that the dispute had to be resolved in accordance with wishes of the Kashmiri people. “That can only happen through the plebiscite conducted by the UN. So, neither the Kashmiri people nor the UN can be left out of resolution of the Kashmir dispute,” he said.But, she regretted that once again, India’s statement on Kashmir was to be welcomed as a first step in recognising the legal and political realities of the Kashmir dispute.