MNA Kundi will be expelled from PTI, says Imran

ISLAMABAD: After his ‘failed’ bid to show the door to party MNA Ayesha Gulalai, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Friday said another MNA Dawar Khan Kundi will now be expelled from the party for violation of the PTI discipline, accusing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Revenue Ali Amin Gandapur of protecting those who recently paraded naked a teenage girl in Dera Ismail Khan.

Speaking to the media via video link, Imran called Dawar Kundi a "dissident" and said he was an estranged member of the party and that he was a liar. Imran announced that Kundi will be expelled from the PTI.

Gulalai was also expelled from the party and Imran had moved the NA speaker in this context, who forwarded a reference to the Election Commission of Pakistan, which ruled that she continued to be PTI MNA.

Imran said that Kundi had been issuing statements against the party as well as against the KP chief minister, and that he did not even attend party meetings. “If any member thinks that something is wrong, he should complain to the party leaders but he [Dawar] goes and speaks to the media," the PTI chairman contended.

He said that the party has a proper code of conduct regarding the issue and a disciplinary cell which deals with such issues. Over the allegations against Gandapur, Imran said that "these are false. I have spoken to the IG [inspector general of police], who informed me that he has no pressure from Gandapur or anyone in the investigations of the case regarding the teenager". "Ali Amin says whosoever is responsible for the [Dera Ismail Khan] incident should be awarded death sentence," Imran added.

On November 9, Kundi wrote a letter to the PTI chairman, alleging that Ali Amin Gandapur, was related to the family, which initiated the assault on the girl.

In a statement, PTI Information Secretary Shafqat Mehmood clarified that Kundi had not been expelled from the party so far, as social media carried reports that the MNA had been thrown out of the party. Mehmood said that serious complaints of party discipline violation had been received against Kundi. However, there is a laid down procedure for joining of the PTI and expulsion from the party. He added that in the light of complaints, Kundi is being served a show cause notice. And, if allegations proved correct, action would be taken against him accordingly. On grave violations of the party discipline, he added, a member could be expelled from the party as well.

Kundi, who was elected from NA-25 Tank, requested the PTI chief and the chief minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to remove Ali Amin from the cabinet. In reaction to these allegations, Ali Amin had claimed that Kundi is using the case for his personal interests. “He is a political rival and is forcing the victim to say what he wants,” he alleged.

The other day, Gulalai also spoke to the media and alleged that the provincial minister had connections with those, who had disgraced the young girl. A group of PTI MNAs, including Musarrat Zeb, Dawar Khan and Gulzar Khan, who passed away a few weeks ago, had also openly spoken against the party policies and decisions. A similar group of PTI legislators also exists in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly.