Islamabad: Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan on Wednesday suspended the party membership of Justice (retd) Wajihuddin Ahmed, the chief election commissioner of the PTI’s intra-party elections.
Wajihuddin’s membership was suspended for violating a notification from the PTI leadership issued the previous day warning members against publicly criticising party policy.
“Justice (retd) Wajiuddin has openly defied Party discipline even after the issuance of the Chairman’s notification of 4 August 2015, clearly stating that anyone discussing internal party matters publicly will be suspended immediately from Party membership,” said a statement from the PTI chairman.
“In view of the above facts, and in the light of the 4th August notification, the Chairman has been left with no choice but to suspend Justice Wajiuddin’s basic Party membership,” it added.
The former Supreme Court judge has been at loggerheads with the party’s top leadership and has criticised them for not taking measures to address allegations of irregularities in the intra-party polls.
The decision to suspend the senior leader’s membership comes a day after Khan warned PTI members that the basic membership of party leaders criticising the party’s policies in public would be cancelled.
A circular issued by the PTI central secretariat, bearing Imran’s signatures, asked party members to keep their discussions on party matters strictly within the party.
“The PTI is a democratic party and its members have the right to express their opinion within the party,” read the circular sent out to the party members.
“Subsequently, if any member goes public and challenges the party decisions, it is a serious breach of discipline and unacceptable,” it read.
In an interview with Geo News anchorperson Shahzeb Khanzada following the notification Tuesday evening, Wajihuddin said that the PTI’s party tickets were sold for money during the cantonment board elections in Lahore.
Those who received these bribes still hold official positions in the party, Wajihuddin had said.
