LG polls: PTI witnesses gross violations

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is struggling to purge the party of those who ditched it in the recent local government elections in Punjab by voting in favour of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidates. The party has already sought written explanation from its elected members in the local bodies' elections in Punjab province for supporting the PML-N candidates for chairman, vice-chairman slots in different districts.
The party witnessed gross disciplinary violations by its members in Attock, Khushab, Faisalabad and some other districts during the last phase of the local government election. Chairman PTI Imran Khan has constituted a Central Disciplinary Committee to expel those from the party who are found guilty of misconduct and violation of the party discipline.
The disciplinary committee on Friday invited written complaints from all PTI members pertaining to recently conducted local bodies elections in Punjab "where gross violation of party discipline by the PTI members has occurred." The party also said in a notification that "the chairman PTI further directs that the accountability process be completed as soon as possible."
A senior official of the party told Business Recorder that PTI has served show cause notices on more than two dozen party members including some elected members in the local government election and some party ticket holders for MNA and MPA seats in the 2013 polls.
He said that the party has adopted a zero tolerance policy against those who violated the party directions in last phase of the local government election. "Some elected chairmen and vice chairmen of the party have voted in favour of the PML-N candidates in the last phase of election for their personal interests," he added. The official said that all those who failed to present their formidable stance before the disciplinary committee would immediately be expelled and their basic membership of the party would also be revoked. He said the PTI is an ideological party and cannot tolerate turncoats as well as those who have joined the party to push their personal interests.