ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf (PTI) yesterday expelled MPA Amjad Khan Afridi from the party for his conduct in the Local Bodies (LB) elections which led to the defeat of PTI candidates. The decision to expel Afridi was taken by the disciplinary committee set up by Chairman Imran Khan to look into the conduct of certain senior members of the PTI regarding LB elections held in KP. The committee was headed by National Organiser Shah Mehmood Qureshi and included Provincial Organiser Fazal Khan, Saifullah Khan Niazi and Naeemul Haq.

After the LB polls, the party had issued notices to former provincial president Senator Azam Swati, Shehryar Khan Afridi (MNA) and members of KP Assembly. The committee provided them right to defend but they could not justify their positions, sources said. The disciplinary committee reprimanded MNA Shehryar Afridi and MPA Zia Ullah Bangash, saying they acted irresponsibly. “In Mansehra, Senator Azam Swati failed to adequately protect the interests of the party. The committee has decided that he shall have no role in the affairs of the PTI’s Mansehra chapter in future and a reprimand will be issued to him,” it added.

While announcing decision about what happened in Peshawar, the committee said that MPA Arif Yousaf acted irresponsibly and is being reprimanded for his conduct. “Yasin Khalil MPA acted in highly irresponsible manner and prevented PTI councillors from casting their votes. It has been decided to bar him from holding any position in the party or government,” it added. Sources told The Nation, PTI local leaders from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa took up the issue of senior party leaders’ interference in the Local Bodies election and violation of party’s code of conduct in the polls as they provided evidences against them.

“The disciplinary committee summoned PTI office-bearers and MPA at the party central secretariat for hearing in second week of September. Most of the PTI officials failed to clarify their positions before the committee and admitted that they had violated the party’s rules and regulations in LB polls,” sources said. The disciplinary committee compiled its recommendations after a marathon hearing and sent the recommendations to party chairman Imran Khan for disciplinary action. The committee claimed that it gave a chance of explanation to all those PTI leaders who violated the election policy, sources said.