PTI to step up mass contact drive on PanamaLeaks

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Tuesday decided to step up its mass contact drive with regards to the raging PanamaLeaks issue with focus on Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

PTI Secretary General Jehangir Tareen chaired the party’s political strategy committee’s meeting here. Others, who attended it, included Ishaq Khaqwani, Atif Khan, Amir Kiyani, Shah Farman, Ali Amin and regional heads of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad.

The forum vowed not to let Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif run away from accountability in the backdrop of Panama Papers revelations and that party Chairman Imran Khan’s message would be spread to every nook and corner of Pakistan, as to how important it was to hold the corrupt accountable, no matter, how powerful he might be.

It was noted with concern that the government was misusing the state’s resources and machinery to bury the PanamaLeaks issue. The participants said that the prime minister had lied to the National Assembly and the nation on his offshore assets’ money trail and then also misled the Supreme Court.

The PTI’s regional heads were given special task to further promote public opinion on accountability of the corrupt. Following the suspension of basic membership of over 20 party members, including a member of provincial assembly, who allegedly violated the party discipline in the recently-held last phase of local bodies election in Punjab, the party’s central disciplinary committee took stock of the matter.

The committee members, namely Naeemul Haq, Lt. Gen. (R) Iftikhar Hussain, Brig (R) Tipu Sultan, and Arshad Dad attended the meeting, which vowed to not to spare those, in total violation of the party discipline, voted for rivals’ candidates.

The panel decided to get complaints against the suspended party members in writing and then in the light of it, if necessary, all of them or some, might be summoned to explain their position instead of relying on what they would right in response to the notice.

Suspension of these came after Imran chaired a meeting of the party at his residence at Banigala expressing his anger over the glaring violation of the party discipline, splashed on media for hours and was top of discussions during television channel shows.

MPA Dr Salahuddin Khan, whose party membership has also been suspended, belongs to Mianwali, the hometown of the PTI chief. Others facing the action belong to Faisalabad, Attock and Narowal districts. Despite having a comfortable numerical strength, Imran’s candidates for the seats of district council and municipal committee lost in his hometown.

Hence, PML-N made almost a clean sweep in these elections, as unofficial results showed that it won the chairperson’s slot in 30 district councils with both the PPP and PTI unable to get a top position in any district. Those suspended belong to Attock, Mianwali and Faisalabad, mostly.