The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has expelled Sher Afzal Marwat from the party for violating party discipline. The decision was officially communicated by PTI’s Additional Secretary General Firdous Shamim Naqvi, who issued a termination notice and dispatched it to Marwat.
According to the notification, signed by Naqvi, Marwat had been warned previously to be cautious about his public statements. However, a committee formed to review his media talks and tweets concluded that Marwat consistently disrespected the party’s rules and principles.
The committee’s investigation report, along with recent statements and complaints, led to the recommendation to cancel his membership.
“Based on the committee’s findings, it is evident that Sher Afzal Marwat considered himself above the party rules, which negatively impacted the party’s image and narrative,” stated Naqvi in the notification.
The recommendation to terminate Marwat’s membership had been approved by PTI Founder Chairman Imran Khan, said the notification.
The PTI has also demanded that Marwat resign from his National Assembly seat, which he won as a PTI nominee. “If Sher Afzal Marwat is an honourable person, he should resign from his NA seat and seek a re-election to it,” Naqvi added.
However, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has expressed surprise and scepticism about the decision. He stated that he was unaware of any such termination and found the notification to be potentially fake. “I have just seen the notification, it seems to be fake, or I’m not aware of any such decision,” he maintained.
Gohar further said that as the part chairman, he would not approve any such move, adding that even if someone took such a decision in a personal capacity, it was not acceptable.
On July 12, the PTI had suspended Marwat’s membership after a meeting between party Founder Imran Khan and the top leadership in Adiala Jail. The PTI leaders had met with Imran Khan, where the decision regarding Marwat was taken.
Sources claimed that Marwat was constantly violating party discipline and had made several statements criticizing the party leaders over the past month. In one statement, he purportedly made “derogatory remarks” about the party founder.
During the meeting with Imran Khan, it was agreed that no leader is above the party, and that all other leaders would face the same fate if they crossed the party line, they added.
Marwat’s reply to the show-cause notice was also deemed unsatisfactory, said the sources, adding that he had once said in London that Imran Khan himself did not want people to take to the streets.
It should be noted that MNA Marwat was removed from the PTI core and political committees in May by Secretary General Omar Ayub on the order of Imran Khan. He was said to have made a controversial statement regarding the alleged involvement of Saudi Arabia in the removal of Imran Khan from the prime minister’s position following a motion of no-confidence by the joint opposition alliance.
